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My father's handkerchiefs
As long as I remember, my father always has a fabric handkerchief on his pant’s back pocket. When I was a little girl, he used it to clean my face, hands, or tears. It’s not as weird as it may sound, he doesn’t always use the same one. So many memories come to mind when thinking about his handkerchiefs. I’m not sure of how many of them he owns or how many of them he has used throughout the years, but what I’m certainly sure of is that he can’t leave the house without one. It doesn’t matter if it’s black, purple, yellow or white; each handkerchief has the same function. He even keeps several of them in his car, in case he doesn’t have any pockets. My sisters and I always thought it’s unpractical to carry a handkerchief everywhere. We considered it easier to grab some napkins or tissues when they’re needed. I guess we never thought about the fact that sometimes there are no napkins or tissues available, and this is the reason why my father feels secure and ready for any type of situation. He usually doesn’t have to worry about not having napkins at a restaurant or having to touch public spaces that can get his hands dirty because he is always prepared. I actually think that he enjoys offering his handkerchief to anyone that needs it. I see this all the time when my nephews get dirty from eating candy, and he just takes it out of his pocket and clean their mouths or hands without asking. He is constantly buying new ones to replace the ones that have been used a lot. I think carrying a handkerchief on the pocket is an old costume that people used to do many years ago. It’s not common to see people doing this today, but in my father’s case, this costume stuck because it suited him well. I can’t see a handkerchief without immediately thinking about my father. It’s funny how each person’s personality shows in such little and insignificant details. My father is a perfectionist person (always has been and always will be), and he can’t stand the idea of not being ready for something or seeing any type of disorder. Now that I think of it, the handkerchief satisfies his need for preparation and represents his constant pursuit for having perfection around him, around us, his family.
