Mondays are my day to share my Good News post. This has been a regular part of my routine for a number of years now. This post is a Good News post but is also a more general reflection on Father’s Day.
Father’s Day is far from “normal” for me and this year highlighted that more than ever.
My dad died about 16 years ago and, like many people, Father’s Day is a day that brings up memories and reminds me of how much I miss him. I went through some family albums and spent time looking at pictures from my childhood. While we at times had a strange relationship, I was blessed with a great dad.
This Father’s Day was different for me in a surprising way. Most people don’t know that I am adopted. This was the first year that I knew the identity of my birth father. He died over twenty years ago and I never met him. I don’t have any harsh feelings toward him. I know only a little of his life and from what I know, things worked out for the best.
Now I am a father myself. I have two biological children of my own. They are 19 and 17 years old. There is a certain way that Father’s Day could have looked but doesn’t. They are both autistic and nonverbal and live in a group home 1.5 hours away. We haven’t seen them in four months because of the pandemic.
But that is not all. We have brought three other children into our family, a sibling group ages 14, 13 and 12. I consider them to be just as much my children as our biological children. In fact I often forget that there is no genetic connection between us.
When I look at all of this, I realize that Father’s Day can never be “normal” for me. But it can be good. I’m thankful for the father who gave me life and the father who gave me love. I’m thankful for my children that live away and the children who live with me.
Blessings come in surprising packages.
