Friday, June 16, 2017

Insight: For all the dads who are doing their best by Lorraine Glowczak


It’s been a busy week with graduation ceremonies and celebrations and now we get to look forward to honoring our dad’s this Sunday.


As I read through all the “On the Spot” answers we have in our print version of the newspaper, I smile at how many people are proud of their dad. One answer that hit close to home for me was the answer, “being the best provider under the circumstances.” This response made me pause and think of my own father, who passed away at the age of 90.

Although my dad was not a bad father, he certainly would have never won a “Father of the Year” award. But, despite that, I do believe he did the best he could with what was available to him during his lifetime. 

I didn’t always believe this statement, however. But as I have grown up and experienced some of my own hardships and mistakes, I’m not quite as critical now. In fact, I think I have become more understanding of the challenges my father faced and my heart has soften towards him.

Growing up during the Great Depression and the challenges faced by his family, set the stage and the perception of what a good father was supposed to be. I suspect he really did believe he was doing the best that he could. And for this reason, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Additionally, there was a lot of good about my father. He believed in me in ways I never quite understood. Hoping I would be the next Patsy Cline, he gave me a guitar at the age of 10 – ignoring the fact that I was and am tone deaf and can’t carry a tune. He gave me four awesome brothers who are always there for me in a heartbeat. He taught me to drive – a car and a John Deere tractor. He encouraged my love of travel and exploration. And, in a way – he taught me to see the good in people, and thus him.

By doing so, I can celebrate my father this weekend with joy and pride

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