Alex Eugene Washington Jr.

My dad is someone with a very quiet strength. I've never known my father to complain. Ever.About anything. He wakes up in the morning. He has his routine; he works. He takes care of his family. We always read the newspaper every day, and were very informed about what was going on in the world, and would have conversations about the news. He also loves the funny papers, so he has a great sense of humor. One memory that sticks out for me is my father shining his shoes. 

Like his father, they value everything that they have. And so, my dad would iron his shirt and his pants, and it had to have the right crease. But he had a shoeshine kit, and I can still see it. There's saddle soap in there. There's a brush. There's the polish. There's the cleaning rag, and there's the polishing rag. Right? And he would go through and line up his shoes every week, and those shoes were shined before he started his work week. That simple recurring process and discipline is something that always stays with me.