Dear Dad,

My memories of you in my life were few, but I held onto them because they are all I ever had. You left when we were so young, but I remember your quotes so vividly. “You are never going to amount to anything” or “You are going to be one of those that smoke cigarettes”. Sadly Dad, that’s all I can remember being said by you.

How would you feel knowing I had to learn all of life’s lessons from watching others, or from what I saw on television? I didn’t even know if I know how to shave correctly; that’s why I still use an electric razor. I had to learn what was against the law by being arrested for it. I had to learn what it meant to work hard by going to a boot camp. I had to learn how to be a good husband by marrying a wonderful and patient wife. And finally Dad, I had to learn to be a good Father by trusting in my faith.

I understand that you can fall out of love with your wife, but what I can’t understand is how you cannot love your kids?

You are getting older now and I have a 7 year old son myself. Every day I do everything I can to make an impression on him, and tell him how much I love him and teach him about the world and faith and mankind. I teach him what I learned the hard way, so that hopefully he will know one day that his Dad loved him.

I could go on with a lot more about what I didn’t get from you, but if you knew that the greatest thing I was missing was your love then that would be enough said.

By the way Dad, I am a college graduate, I don’t smoke and I have held many well-paid corporate positions. This just goes to show that you had no idea what you were talking about, and that the love of a mother was enough to get me to this point in my life.

Your son, age 39