An Excerp from my Favorite Poem by Suheir Hammad

Above is a video of her performance of "Daddy's Song". I have found that of all her work, I can relate to this one the most. Hammad speaks of her father's likes and dislikes when it comes to popular media. In particular, her father thought that the music of today's generation was not "real music; good music". Normally people would take offense to that type of criticism, but Hammad takes it in stride. This is because she understands that it is simply the way things work through the generation. She understands that she will one day recite the same dislike for her children's choice of music as her father once has and that she openly accepts it.

"That's my song too Baba and one day I'm gonna sing it to you in a poem"

 In my own life, I can relate to the acceptance of "the ways things are" over generations. When I was younger, I thought that my mother's pet peeves and complaints were exaggerated and uncalled for, but now that I am older I understand them and even find myself using the same ones in my daily life. I no longer am upset when I realize this has happened because I embrace it. It makes me glad to know that the ways and thoughts of the generations before me will always live through me and onto those after me. Not everything passed down is negative; some thoughts and ways of life are beautiful and it would be a shame to not pass them down to your loved ones.