My father wasn’t there with me on graduation day, even though my family was happy for me. Watching him put his new life with Sandra and her son Tommy first for years from the background came to a head at this moment.
When I was ten, my parents got a divorce, which was a relief, but my dad’s new relationship changed things. He was happy for Tommy’s big events in life, but he missed all of mine, like my birthdays, science fair wins, and soccer championships.
The pain of missing him made me even more determined to talk to him. I planned a graduation dinner and invited my dad, Sandra, and Tommy. I did this on purpose—to show how neglectful he was.
As dinner went on, I got up to give my message, in which I talked about the important events he had missed. Even though my voice was shaking, I looked into his eyes and begged him to understand.
The look on my dad’s face broke. Saying, “I’ve missed a lifetime with my son,” he admitted his mistakes.
Sandra’s pain was clear, and my mom nodded, pushing me to talk about how I felt.
Things took a big turn that night. My dad admitted he was wrong and promised to make things right. The next weekend, he took me on a trip to get back in touch.
We started to get better under the stars at night. He helped me connect with him by teaching me how to fish and name stars.
I felt relieved and hopeful as I got ready to go to college. The time had finally come for my dad to be determined to try. I had faith that he would not let me down again.
This trip taught me to be strong and to face my pain head-on. Should I have done something different? Maybe. But in the end, what I said made things better, and I saw hope in our weird relationship as father and son.
