On Father’s Day: From Resentment to Forgiveness
Father’s Day is often celebrated far less than Mother’s Day. For some people, a father is an absent figure in their lives. Some even say their father contributed nothing more than a sperm. For many years, I carried resentment toward my father. As a child, I felt he treated my mother poorly. I naturally took my mother’s side and grew angry with him. That resentment followed me throughout my teenage years and well into adulthood. I was never close to my father, although I felt obligated to be a good daughter. I often fulfilled his wishes, but many times it was done reluctantly rather than willingly. After my mental breakdown, I avoided seeing my father for years. I believed he was one of the reasons for my emotional struggles and mental illness. Holding on to that belief made it easier to keep my distance. Then, years later, I saw him again. By then, he was nearly eighty years old. The man who once seemed so strong and intimidating now looked fragile and old. Time had qui...
