Of dads and families

Yesterday was a peaceful Father's Day. I made a fancy brunch to celebrate Ryan - blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs with Irish cheese, grapes, raspberries, and more fresh blueberries. The kids and I gave Ryan some gifts and we made a card for Ryan. Nathan and Abby each wrote a short little letter to Dad about why them love him and they each thanked him for being a good dad. The kids have mentioned more than once that many of their friends at school who come from divorced families don't see their dads much, and they've happy and thankful that Ryan is present in their lives. It was unprompted and it really touched me to hear them express that to Ryan.

I thought about my dad and remembered some happy times with him. I posted this picture of him on Facebook. I was surprised and touched that my mom's relatives made so many positive comments about my dad when I posted that picture. I am so lucky that when my parents got divorced, not only were my parents amicable with each other, but also my mom's family continued to be kind and loving to my dad. They certainly have reason to have unpleasant feelings toward him. He was not always the best husband and dad. (I feel somewhat guilty saying that because he is not here to defend himself and perhaps, if he were still alive, he might be different today.) Instead, they often share good memories of him with my brother and me. Over the years, it has been very healing for Jon and me to hear these happy memories and kind thoughts about my dad. Thank you, Kleiber relatives. It means more than you could possibly realize.