Hold Still A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann was the most recent book that I read. I have a write-up on my Book page.
One thing that struck me was that there was a bit about whether her Dad loved her. She states that her Dad didn’t share much affection. She also came to the conclusion that her Dad did love her. But that got me thinking. How will my kids remember me? Have I done enough for them to be absolutely sure that I love them?
I grew up in a pretty typical lower-middle-class family. My Dad worked as a machine repairman for General Motors. He worked long hours, and frequently afternoons.
I grew up with very traditional role expectations. When I became a Dad, I tried to be more involved with the kids. There were certainly many times that I deferred to my wife, but I tried to be fully present and participatory in my kids’ lives.
This led me to wonder if I made any difference as a middle school principal. That one I’ll probably never know. I do think back to situations that I wish I had handled differently.
I do truly hope that when I leave this mortal plane, my kids will know how much I love them.
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