This had to have a effect on you for lifetime, probably still does today.
Yes it did, and it was a very positive one. I don't remember my father being all that fatherly. I am still close with my father's family, which means I have maintained my paternal roots. I think having a great stepdad was a real bonus too.
A lot of people come into our lives over the course of a lifetime, take the best from them and ignore the rest and one should do pretty well. I have no sympathy for adults who blame there woes on their "dysfunctional" childhoods. When you think about it, what exactly is a functional childhood? Growing up is a learning experience. Like I said, take the best from these experiences.
When my father died, he was all alone in this world, at least as far as family goes. He ran away from his family, not just me, all those years ago. I was contacted by the City Administrator after he died. They had gone through his apartment and found some Christmas cards I'd sent him, which he apparently kept. This was how they were able to get in touch with me. If anything, I felt sorry for him that his life as a loner had come to this in the end.
