Based on the poem's first stanza (lines 1-6), which of the following inferences about the speaker's father is most likely true?
My father was a tough cookie,
his friends still tell me with a smile.
He was hot-tempered and had to have his own way,
but they loved him nonetheless, and so did I.
a) The speaker's father wishes he'd been nicer to his kids.
b) The speaker's father is no longer alive.
c) The speaker's father has many close friends.
d) The speaker's father is an easy person to love.