Reading Response: Different Meanings

Different Meanings

Knowing that someone always loves you and that they will always be there to care for you, gives you peace of mind. This is family. Family is there to teach and coach you through hard times, to bring you out of bad places. In the short stories Arm Wrestling with My Father by Brad Manning shows love in a much different way.

            Everyone has different ways of showing love, whether it’s physical or emotional, it’s still love. The father in the story Arm Wrestling with My Father, would always show his love to his son Brad the physical way by arm wrestling with him. Not once did he let Brad win. He is not the type to send cards on Brad’s birthday or even really to give good hugs. Others may think that is meaningless but no, it is not, it's a different way to show affection to one another. "So I offered a handshake; but he offered a hug."(Manning.159) Brad last realized that his dad truly loved him on his last day home, the hug that was given was soft and long, not a quick hard one that will leave someone breathless but the one that will leave you feeling a warm glow inside.

            Loving and learning to love is a task that we all have to learn, not only us but our family and our significant other. Loving someone in a different way doesn’t mean it isn't real, no. It’s just another way to express it. We just have to learn the meaning behind it.