Three Fathers

There were three fathers in my life.

Donald Van Der Woulde; my biological father, whom I never knew. He and my mother divorced when I was very young, and I have no memories of him.

Thomas Neal Foreman; my step-father; whom I knew “well enough and hardly at all.” My mom remarried when I was 5 years old, I still recall their wedding in Las Vegas, and it seemed to set the tone for many of my memories afterwards.

Benjamin Balogh, Jr.; my grandfather, whom I knew well and loved the most. My mother’s father taught me kindness, compassion, consideration towards others, thinking long and hard about our actions and their consequences, and providing for others. I am still trying to live up to his measure, and I know I fall short.

Happy Fathers Day.

Keith Wancowicz I don’t agree with the falling short part…

Ken Foreman But then you don’t know me as well as I do. I know very my faults, some I have tried to correct, and some I still allow to fester because I don’t have the health or desire to correct them just yet.

I still have some gaping wounds in my life that I really don’t care to discuss on Facebook.

Keith Wancowicz A ship sails forward and leaves a wake wherever it goes. The battle scars of life are just that – scars – some heal over never to be seen or thought of again and others remind us every day of times past. If one is suppose to live in the present and not the past then looking at the circle with the loves of your life then I say you are a good father. Faults do not detract but rather make us unique just like every diamond is unique. We are human and hence flawed.