Daddy Green

Volkswagen USA's latest ad, The Last Mile | Beetle, brought me to tears. I have a very fond memory of this car. No, I didn't use to own this car, but somebody very close to my heart.

My earliest memory of this car was almost three decades ago. My daddy–that's what I call my late paternal grandfather–owned this car until 2011 ish before they decided to just sell its parts. My papa told me me that daddy bought the Beetle around the 70s. It became their family car, and I was fortunate enough to be the next generation passenger. When I started talking, I can't stop admiring daddy's green Beetle, hence the monicker, Daddy Green. Whenever my papa's not around due to his work, daddy will always come to the rescue, and he'll drive me to school. My memory with daddy and his Daddy Green is nothing but bittersweet. That's just one of the moments that I'll treasure the most. When daddy left us three years ago, I was devastated. I couldn't grasp the fact that he's already gone. It felt like a part of me was missing. I was an almost finished puzzle, and he was the only missing puzzle piece.

Then came this video. All the memories with daddy and Daddy Green rushed through my system, like a strong wind blowing from the sea. It was still painful in my part, and I still long for daddy's presence. I can't blame myself, I was his first grandson, and I was really spoiled by him. He loved me dearly. He was my playmate. He was my attorney. He was my confidant. He was my everything.

I miss him every day. I am sure that he is in a happy place right now. He regularly visits me in my dreams, wearing a big smile on his face, wearing his favorite yellow tank top, and his short shorts.