Sunday, June 21, 2009

Fathers

Happy Summer Solstice and Father's Day. No father is here to celebrate with us and while that sucks, it would be worse if my ex-father were actually here.

I wonder about fathers sometimes; I have this idea in my head that they're all, er ... evil. I would love to hear from those who have good fathers. Tell me what makes them good fathers. This is something that is important to me to know.

~Emily

2 comments:

Fluffy said...

Emily, I can't tell you about good fathers from personal experience - mine was not so much. I never saw him after 11 years old (he called me once when I turned 21 and sent me a card when I graduated from college) and he died when I was 22. I CAN tell you that you don't have to worry about it affecting you negatively in later life if you keep in mind what kind of person you want to be.
My father-in-law, on the other hand, was the sweetest guy ever, and my husband is a great dad. Of course, I'm a fabulous mom, but since it's Father's Day I wont go on about that.

AletaMay said...

I had a good dad Emily.

I know that I was very lucky and I am so sorry that you were not. The fact that all fathers are not evil does not make your own any less awful.

Though he had no formal education beyond the 8th grade my father was self educated and one of the most intellectually curious people I have known. Some of my best earliest memories are of sitting on his lap in the evening while he read to me. Both my parents were readers, but seeing how my mother's family is I am sure it was my father's influence that made that so.

While my mother had a temper and was known to raise her hand to me my father rarely even raised his voice but was almost always able to get me to do what he wanted me to do.

He had a wonderful sorta quirky sense of humor.

Of course he was not perfect. No one is. But I never question that he loved me and my siblings and did his best.

I miss both my parents, but my dad has been gone longer so in some ways I miss him more.

I am also very lucky to have many friends who are themselves good fathers. I saw several of them at a party last night. Seeing a man gently hold a baby or gently carry a sleeping 5 year old to bed is one of the most beautiful things in my opinion.

I know that you will know good fathers in your lifetime Emily. You know well the sorts to avoid!