Chadwick's Listening Room: Happy Father's Day from the Listening Room

My relationship with my Father, who passed away on Pearl Harbor Day 1997 was "complicated" at best. My parents split up before I was born. My Dad moved away to California to seek a career in acting. He remarried and had a second family. I had a long distance relationship with my Dad. One short uncomfortable visit from him when I was five. A 3 week trip to LA when I was 9. A weekend in Michigan when I was 11. A few phone calls. A few letters. And then, 15 years of total non-communication. After a family tragedy when I was 24, we reconnected. My renewed relationship with my Dad was marked, at first, by a sense that I had that he felt guilty about how things went down. I tried to tell him that I had no hard feelings toward his being absent.

There were times I actually convinced myself that I believed it.

I have tried to be the exact opposite toward my kids that my Dad was toward me. Caring, involved, giver of gifts and initiator of activities. Coach of their sports teams. Trying to provide them with everything I never had. And.......I feel at times that I am steering the boat of Fatherhood into a squall of anger, defiance, rage, sullenness, you name it. Which, I guess that means I am about the same as every other Dad out there!

So, Happy Father's Day from Chadwick's Listening Room! And here is a short Father's Day playlist!