What Does It Mean to Be Strong?
Strength & Vulnerability
Panel 1: The Question
1/12
Backyard, afternoon. Dad and daughter (age 7-8) watching ants carry a leaf.
DAUGHTER: Dad, what does it mean to be strong?
DAD: (surprised) That's a big question. What made you think of that?
DAUGHTER: Tommy said his dad can lift a car. Can you lift a car?
DAD: (laughs) No, kiddo. But let me tell you about real strength...
An ant struggles with a leaf twice its size. Dad watches it intently, as if memorizing every detail.
Panel 2: The Tough Guy
2/12
Flashback: 1987, middle school gym. Young dad (age 12) struggling with pull-ups.
DAD (V.O.): When I was in middle school, I thought being strong meant having big muscles.
GYM TEACHER: Come on, kid! Just one pull-up!
YOUNG DAD: (struggling, red-faced) I... can't...
CLASSMATES: (laughing) Weakling!
DAD (V.O.): I couldn't even do one pull-up. I felt like the weakest kid alive.
Panel 3: Dad's Breakdown
3/12
Flashback continues: Young dad crying in the locker room.
DAUGHTER: You cried?
DAD: Oh yeah. Big, ugly tears. Snot everywhere.
DAUGHTER: (giggles) Gross!
DAD: The grossest! But then something happened that changed everything.
DAUGHTER: What?
Panel 4: Grandma's Strength
4/12
Flashback: Young dad at home. Grandma in kitchen, looking tired but determined.
DAD (V.O.): That same day, I came home and saw your grandma.
YOUNG DAD: Grandma, why are you cooking? You just got back from the hospital.
GRANDMA: Because your grandpa needs to eat, sweetheart.
YOUNG DAD: But you're sick...
GRANDMA: (smiling) Being strong isn't about what you CAN do. It's about what you CHOOSE to do.
Grandma's hands shake slightly as she stirs the pot. 'We don't get to choose how much time we have,' she says quietly.
Panel 5: The Realization
5/12
Flashback: Young dad watching grandma with new understanding.
DAD (V.O.): She couldn't lift a car. She could barely lift the pot.
DAD (V.O.): But she was the strongest person I knew.
DAUGHTER: Because she kept going even when it was hard?
DAD: Exactly. She taught me that strength isn't in your muscles...
DAD: It's in your heart.
Panel 6: Uncle Mike's Story
6/12
Present day. Dad scrolling through phone, shows daughter a photo.
DAD: See this guy? That's Uncle Mike. He was a bodybuilder.
DAUGHTER: Wow! He's HUGE! He must be super strong!
DAD: He was. Could bench press 300 pounds.
DAUGHTER: So he WAS strong!
DAD: Let me tell you about the strongest thing he ever did...
Panel 7: Uncle Mike's Real Strength
7/12
Dad continues the story, daughter listening intently.
DAD: One day, Uncle Mike's son got really sick. Needed special medicine they couldn't afford.
DAD: Mike sold his gym, his equipment, everything he'd built for 20 years.
DAUGHTER: That's sad...
DAD: He said it was the easiest decision he ever made.
DAD: THAT was strength. Giving up what you love for who you love.
Dad's voice cracks slightly. 'You never know when you'll have to be that strong,' he whispers.
Panel 8: The Superhero Debate
8/12
Daughter jumps up excitedly, striking a superhero pose.
DAUGHTER: So Superman isn't really strong?
DAD: (laughs) Well, he can lift buildings...
DAUGHTER: But that's just muscles! You said real strength is different!
DAD: Superman's real strength is choosing to help people when he could do anything.
DAUGHTER: (thinking hard) So... I could be strong too? Even though I'm little?
DAD: Especially because you're little.
Panel 9: Mom's Example
9/12
Mom comes outside, carrying groceries and work bag, looking exhausted.
MOM: (sighing) Long day...
DAD: (to daughter) You want to see real strength? Watch your mom.
MOM: Oh no, what are you telling her?
DAD: How you work all day, come home tired, and still help with homework, make dinner, and read bedtime stories.
MOM: That's not strength, that's just... being a mom.
DAD: That's EXACTLY what strength is.
Panel 10: The Real Answer
10/12
Dad kneels down to daughter's eye level.
DAD: You know what the strongest thing I ever did was?
DAUGHTER: What?
DAD: The day you were born, I was terrified. Thought I'd be a terrible dad.
DAD: But I chose to try anyway. To show up every day and do my best.
DAUGHTER: Were you scared?
DAD: Terrified. Still am sometimes. But being strong doesn't mean not being scared.
DAD: It means being scared and doing it anyway.
Dad's eyes glisten. 'I'd face anything for you,' he says. 'Anything at all.' His voice sounds almost desperate.
Panel 11: The Test
11/12
Daughter looks at her small arms, then back at dad.
DAUGHTER: So when I was scared of the dark but went to bed anyway... was that strong?
DAD: (beaming) That was incredibly strong!
DAUGHTER: And when I apologized to Sarah even though I didn't want to?
DAD: One of the strongest things you can do. It takes more strength to say sorry than to lift a thousand cars.
DAUGHTER: I think I get it now!
Panel 12: The Promise
12/12
Sunset. Dad and daughter sitting on the grass, watching the sky.
DAUGHTER: Dad? Will you help me be strong?
DAD: You already are strong, kiddo. But yes, I'll always be here to remind you.
DAUGHTER: Promise?
DAD: Promise. No matter what happens, I'll be your biggest fan.
DAD (thinking): I hope I'm strong enough for what's coming. I hope I have enough time.
The sunset comes faster than it should. Dad pulls his daughter close, holding on like she might disappear.