Fair Weather Father
Absent Fatherhood: A Ballad of Missed Moments
Lyrics
You were there one month of the year,
You were present only one month each year.
But the calendar is 12 months long.
Despite the calendar having 12 months, your presence was limited.
Mother did her very best,
The mother made a significant effort to raise the child on her own.
But she did it by herself 'cause you were gone.
You were absent, leaving the mother to handle parenting alone.
Every now and then you strolled in.
Your visits were sporadic.
When you did you tried to lay down the law.
During your visits, you tried to assert authority.
I guess you were a pretty good dad when you were there at all.
You were a decent father, but only when you were actually present.
Someone forgot to tell you raising kids is a full time job.
You seemed unaware that raising kids requires full-time commitment.
Doors are hard to open when there is no one there to help you reach the knob.
Without your support, facing life's challenges is difficult.
The holes of my life that you have missed are enough to sink a ship.
Your absence has created significant voids in my life.
A child is not a letter and a photograph held together by a paperclip.
A child is not just a combination of letters and pictures, held together casually.
Getting older I can see how mistakes are easily made.
As I grow older, I understand that mistakes happen, but consequences affect the children.
But it doesn't change the fact that it's by the kids whom the price is paid.
Regardless of mistakes, the children bear the brunt of the consequences.
Fair weather father!
Addressing the father as one who is only present during favorable circumstances.
Fair weather father!
Repeating the characterization of the father as a fair-weather presence.
Never taught me to throw a football.
You did not teach me essential skills like throwing a football.
Taught myself to ride a bike.
I learned to ride a bike without your guidance.
Could have used some fatherly advice with the girls I have liked.
I lacked paternal advice in dealing with romantic relationships.
Weren't there when I first drove a car.
You were absent during significant milestones like my first car drive.
Weren't there when I finished school.
You were not present during my graduation.
Weren't there when I ran away or when I was abused.
During challenging times, including abuse and running away, you were not there.
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