re: What is your relationship with your dad like?

My dad is my hero. Hope to live up to his example both as a husband and as a father. Talk to him on the phone at least once a week.

I bear his name. My son will bear his name, too. It's an honor.

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My son will bear his name, too

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TbirdSpur2010, the III ?

shitty. he's always been a dick to everyone.

Unfortunately, it was not a good one but we made some progress before he died. The good that came out of it is that it made me a better dad.

He's the only person in this world I can say I am 100% sure will always have my back.

Like many, my father and I had a very rocky relationship from childhood through early 30's. Then things turned as I began to empathize with him and we got into conversations that I doubt another family member ever approached him on. We got tighter. He died 25 years ago tomorrow. I truly hated to lose him and wished we could have had more time. Moreover, my son was almost 3 when Dad died and never really got to know him or him get to know my son. Dad would have been very proud of his grandson. My thoughts were, that while the man could be mean as hell in my early years, he was still a very good teacher and most of it registered with me. I only wish we would have been able to have more father-son (student) time together and that I would have been a better student.

he died when I was 17.

It was the hardest time i've ever had in my life. My parents had been divorced for almost half of a year when he died.

but sports was my getaway. He was always the most supportive person of me when I was playing sports growing up. I'm very thankful of my time playing high school sports cause if not for that I might have really been in trouble. My last year in high school playing baseball and football were dedicated to him. That helped pull me through I think.

but holy crap, it wasn't easy.

He gone.

But what was it like? He loved offering random gifts, trips and money with unrealistic expectations of thank yous that would make hallmark feel like a letdown. Took a while to convince my wife why it was best to say thanks but no thanks.

I guess what I would offer to some who are not close to their fathers and point out their character failings is this: He might have not been the father you had hoped for, but did it ever occur to you that you might have not been the son he had hoped for. There are no perfect parents and there are no perfect children....... one of those human condition things.