About our fathers

Before I begin, I realize that many people feel they did not have a “good" father growing up.

I feel for you. I truly do. But I'm going to wish you a Happy Father's Day (in their memory) anyway.

Yes, I was blessed with someone whom I saw as a "super hero" father.

Yet, like me - and like you - he had his faults. All of us do. All of us. It's the way of humanity.

Love is a powerful thing. Love blinds us to the faults of others. We often don't even "see" the faults, shortcomings, and sins of those we love. Even when they are there, plain as day, right in front of us. Over time, we can even begin to completely forget about all the "wrong" things a loved one did. As maybe we should.

Indeed, love blinds us. As well it should.

If you feel you didn't have the "best" father growing up, I'm going to wish you a Happy Father's Day anyway.

Your biological father had to do at least "some" good in this world.

After all, you wouldn't be here, nor would you be who you are, without him.

We should all be grateful that we have been given a chance at life. And we wouldn’t even have that chance without a biological father.

May we all be grateful for that person, however great his shortcomings may have been - or continue to be.

We are who we are. We bring great peace to our own minds when we decide not to judge others too harshly just for being who they are.

You can stop reading now, if you’d like. I feel like the most important part of this particular column is done. But I’d like to go ahead and share a few things about my own father, if you’d like to read further.