My father has always been my hero, now he's my guardian angel

When I was 9, my parents took me to a mall (it was a weekday in the middle of the day). I had a father, mother, and little sister. My father had long hair down to his waist and was tall and slim, and we lived in a small town that is religious. So my father stood out, especially since he had tanned skin and tattoos from his time in the military foreign. <br><br>My mom has always been careful about people who stood out, which probably contributed to why my father was always so protective of us. <br><br>My father had a gift, he was able to feel danger, and always made decisions to protect us. He wasn’t even kidding around when he said things like “don’t open the door to strangers”, “don’t go outside alone even if you play together in a group”, etc. <br><br>One day, when I was 9, we were walking inside the mall, and I noticed elderly people watching me, even other men. My father immediately noticed something was wrong, and held my hand outside of my coat, and put the other arm around my mom and 6 year old sister. <br><br>The man, who was right behind us, started to walk fast. My father quickly picked up my little sister and held her up to his shoulder, and pushed my mom and I to the side, outside of the mall. A man was running towards us, and immediately turned around and ran the other way. <br><br>My dad didn’t ever tell me what happened. But I always felt that he protected me even if it meant his life. My mom always said strange things, like “your father has a gift to protect you” <br><br>When I was 14, my father passed away in a drowning accident while swimming in a river. <br><br>Then at 19, I decided to travel to other countries. I’m now 25. Throughout those 6 years, I’ve met a lot of sketchy men. But something about me seems to make them run away. <br><br>Once I was 23, and walking in a dark alley at 3am in a tourist district in Costa Rica. A man came out of nowhere, and came towards me quickly. But right before he got in my face, he turned around and ran. <br><br>When I turned 25, I decided to move to Costa Rica and live in a small coastal town. I was walking the beach on a weekday morning, and I noticed two men staring at me and my friend. They started walking towards us, and my friend noticed a group of men were surrounding us. She suggested we leave the beach. But I’m stubborn. I didn’t want to leave. <br><br>My father always said if you run, you’re showing them you’re weaker, and that scares them more. If you stand up for yourself, you’ll never be harmed. <br><br>It sounds crazy, but I’m still a kid at heart. <br><br>So I stood in front of my friend, and folded my arms, and gave them a stare as if to say “I dare you” <br><br>All four men stopped, including two on the beach that had been hiding behind the sand dunes. <br><br>I’m now 27. I have a son. And I feel like my father’s gift has been transferred to me, and I am now his protector from wherever he is. <br><br>Now whenever I walk alone at night, strange men look at me and run away. <br><br>My father always said “I will always be with you, no matter where you are”.