Taking my dad to the World Cup after his stroke taught me a lot. Mostly, it taught me not to underestimate him.

The author's dad suffered a stroke six months ago.

Courtesy of the author

The hard part is over, I thought. Our seats were around the corner. We were here to see local history in the making: Seattle, my beloved hometown, becoming an internationally recognized soccer city.Then I turned the corner — and faced a wall of concrete stairs. I hadn't realized how steep and narrow the climb would be. Our seats were near the top. How was my dad, with his cane, going to make it?We'd been talking about the World Cup coming to Seattle since before his stroke. After it, I was even more determined to get him here. My dad had a stroke 6 months agoMy dad had a stroke last December. Fortunately, he can still speak and walk, but he uses a cane now and can't go very far. He's lost some short-term memory, and his reaction time is slower.He's been working hard to recover with brain exercises and physical therapy. Still, the stroke compounded his existing mobility challenges, from a knee injury in high school and a physically taxing career as an electrician.

The author's dad walked toward the stadium in Seattle.

Courtesy of the author