In part III I talked about my Uncle.
Let’s step back a bit and talk about some friends.
Growing up, I had a myriad group of friends. Some that let me practically live with them.
I ate meals with them, went on fishing trips with them. Called their parents mom and dad.
Why?
Because in my mind, they treated me better than my own parents. Looking back, this isn’t entirely true, but it is how I felt as a kid.
I can remember when I graduated from high school. My best friend’s family through my graduation party for me. They video taped graduation, they made cakes for both their son and myself. If I needed to talk to an adult, I went to their house. My mom didn’t like my being friends with their son, because she thought he was a devil worshiper.
On the other hand, she was okay with my spending time with known drug pushers, users and other high quality individuals.
Back to graduation. My mom was upset because I didn’t come home after graduation. At no time did we plan a party at home. She gave no indication that she was planning to attend the event. She later claimed to be standing near the walkway that we used to get to the stage.
We reviewed every inch of that footage, and never saw any indication that either of my parents were there. But my pseudo-parents were.
Any person can be a dad. It takes a special person to be a father.
I can’t hold grudges against my family. It accomplishes little. They both did the best that they could with what they had.
I wish that I could say I had a strong relationship with my mother. Regrettably, there seems to be little hope of strengthening that part of my life. My father and I though, talk regularly. We spend time together when we are able to. Since we don’t live in the same city anymore, it can be difficult.
The most amazing conversation I ever had with my father ended with three simple words that I had never heard from him before in my life.
“I love you… ”
It takes a special person to be a father. Here is this man, a disciplinarian who never showed emotion, telling me how he felt. It was an incredible feeling, and not a conversation goes by anymore when we don’t tell each other that.
