Lesson #21: How it feels to lose a "father" twice
Today is Father's Day. Father's Day has been kind of a weird holiday for me for most of my life. When I was six years old, I tragically lost my biological father. I lost him at such a young age and he was so ill when it happened, that I was never able to have that seemingly strong father-daughter bond that so many appear to have. The majority of my memories are of him lying sick in bed. For that reason, I can't honestly say that I've spent my life missing him, as much as feeling as though I've missed out on that strong father-daughter connection that I see in other relationships. In recent years, Father's Day (along with Mother's Day) has also stirred up emotions around Tim and I not being parents. This year, I'm feeling an even greater sense of loss. I feel this loss so strongly for the reasons already mentioned, and because in March I unexpectedly lost my stepfather. Tom's funeral, March 2020 Tom came into my life when I was around eight years old...
