THE DRAIN COVER

“…I instantly became landlord of the four-family home he owned in the Bronx.”

My father passed away unexpectedly in 2015. On top of grieving, and juggling a (more than) 9-to-5 job, and planning a multi-day wedding in Tipperary and Kilkenny, Ireland, where my husband is from, I was appointed administrator of my dad’s estate—which meant I instantly became landlord of the four-family home he owned in the Bronx. Suddenly I was dealing with late rents, calls in the middle of the night to change a lightbulb (a cliché, I know, but oh so true!) and, most challenging of all, property upkeep. 

Right beside the house there was a drain in the driveway, under a tree, and when it rained or snowed, leaves would clog the drain’s cover and water would start to collect. I felt that this was a metaphor for my life. I had a strong sense of being overwhelmed by the deluge.  

Over time, my husband and I upgraded the drainage and the issue was resolved. In 2017 we sold the property. But I kept the drain cover. It lives in my hallway now, part of the shrine I made there to my dad.

I think about my dad every day. He lived his life with a smile on his face, always willing to take on others’ burdens. When he was alive, I had no idea how much weight was on his shoulders, and how much he protected the people he loved. He was the dam that kept me from being overwhelmed, and now, every day, when I see that heavy iron drain cover, I realize how fortunate I was to have him looking out for me. I also remember that nothing is permanent, that everything can be fixed, that even when life is coming at you with too much, it will get better—a lesson my dad would agree with 100 percent.

—Alicia B.