Here’s hoping that Dads everywhere had a little acknowledgement from their children yesterday on Father’s Day. I know I spent the day thinking about my Father and some of the complexities around our relationship. I also took time out to think about my own daughters and their relationship with me. As a younger father with no role model I had great difficulty taking on the responsibilities of the role and have often openly admitted to my children that I wasn’t the best daddy at times. In those days I had a poorly paid job and so had to work as a freelance artist to supplement the income which invariably left little time to spend with my children; I also had a dreadful drink problem which years later through therapy I learned was connected to issues of my own childhood. It’s a big relief to me to know that my children now have something of an understanding of where I was at during their earlier years.
To daddy’s all around the world – notwithstanding the billions of fantastic Mums too – who because of the pressures on them don’t have as much quality time with their children as they would like, I salute you. Sometimes when I see young parents struggling to cope with the daily grind of life the role of ‘Unsung Heroes’ springs to mind but take heart; anyone who has been a parent understands and has infinite respect for you.
