I remember looking at my father when I was a child…
I used to look at him with awe and wonder. He was really something. We had old photos of him when he was a young man in the Bronx. He was an athlete with an amazing physique which still could be seen despite his older pot belly. He won awards in handball and basketball… I was so proud of him and so wanted to be like him.
I knew he could take any of the other dads in the neighborhood. He could run faster, jump farther, even leap tall buildings in a single bound…
I saw him as I wanted to see him… but it wasn’t true. He was older than my friends dads… close to 50 when I was born. He was a manual laborer and tired all of the time. He wasn’t educated (I thought he was) and he had psychological problems with a variety of fears. Sometimes I would hear him wake up screaming in the middle of the night. It frightened me terribly. I was just a kid. I didn’t understand.
When I got older and knew the truth and I was angry at him. He hadn’t met my expectations… in fact… it was all a lie. He wasn’t what he was supposed to be… he wasn’t Superman… he wasn’t infallible… he was human.
The last time I saw him he was dying. He had lost that magnificent physique as well as his bright smile and sense on humor. He was thin and drawn… demanding, crass and self absorbed… But he was my dad… and I loved him.
And I know that he loved me. It is the little things that he said and did that remind me of his imperfect love. The way he defended me against the onslaughts of older brothers or even an angry mom. The encouragement he gave when he looked at one of my drawings or listened to early attempts at being musical. The pride in his eyes after a school concert or Music competition. I wish I had treated him better, respected him more, honored him for his efforts for me despite his personal battles.
Some of you may not have had the dad I did… maybe better… or maybe worse… or maybe none. I am sorry if that is the case. But, the answer to the father issue is the same for us all… For us, as well as for our dads…
Only God is the perfect Father. Only He will never fail us.
Only He can meet our internal needs.