I recently burried my mother after a lenthy battle with COPD. We were very close (always). When I was less than a year old, she divorced my father and began a lifelong journey of sacrificing everything for me. Near the end, I asked her to tell me about her relationship with my father. Throughout my life she only spoke kindly of my father; always encouraging me to make the effort to have a relationship with him. I did just that, and I’m grateful because I recently burried my father too.

What I learned from my mother (after pleading for the truth) is that my father wasn’t always good to her. There were times when his temper would get the better of him. There were long periods of time when he wouldn’t pay child support. He was full of shortcomings (which I learned about first hand over the years). I guess what I’m saying is that she could have prevented the bond I had with my father from ever happening, but she chose not to; and I love and respect her dearly for making that decision. Happy Father’s Day…