vball10set;1269840 wrote:The best thing to do in cases like this is to pay it forward, and make sure your son/daughter never has to say this about
their father
Reps. My father and I didn't have the best relationship growing up, mainly because we are both too damn stubborn. He worked away out of state all week and was only home on the weekends. So all through my childhood, he never attended any events of mine like sports, banquets, etc. For the longest time, that bothered the hell out of me and there was a lot of animosity towards him because of it. Granted, I know he worked hard to provide for us, but even on the weekends, he did nothing, mainly because he had to do yard work, shit around the house, etc.
I, of course, have since moved out, so the stubbornness doesn't effect us and we have a good relationship. I became a father, provider, and became old enough to realize why he did the things he did while I was a child. The fact that I now live two and a half hours away and see him once a month probably helps our relationship out a lot too, though.
I was able to legally adopt my son when he was 5 years old. Knowing how I felt growing up, that's something he will never have to worry about. That is one thing I thank my dad for, because of his "not being there", I know that my son will never have that feeling. I will lose my job before I miss anything big of his. I am there to support him, no matter what it is. So because of my dad, my son and I have a great relationship.
