35 Comments

Beautiful post. It's a lot to think about as I approach my very first Father's Day as an actual father. Your father's generation was an outstanding one that existed at one of humanity's many zeniths. I was deeply blessed to have a grandfather from that same generation. (Born a year later, in 1924)

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Indeed. Thank you, Felix.

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Thank you for sharing such a vulnerable part of your life. Your father sounded like an upstanding and wonderful person and taught you well!

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Thank you, Nadia.

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Mike, I thank you for such a meaningful narrative about your father. I have identified a lot with your father since I was raised by a father with similar qualities and behavior. I miss him dearly but his teachings are with me and i have tried to pass them on to my son and daughter. Today I spent father's day with my wife and daughter who drove 4 hours from West Texas to be with me. Fathering is one of the most important tasks in life we have and your father is looking from heaven at you and surely he is proud he is to have a son like you! Mike, I truly value you as a person and a writer. As an old man (I just turned 76) I can truly say that your father is proud of you. I am too. Be blessed, Francisco..

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Thank you so much, Francisco.

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Ps. I love reading about people’s father’s. Because I grew up without one, for the most part, I’ve always tried to conjure a perfect one. Your dad sounds like he was!

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Ah, that's bittersweet, Kim.

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Your post affirms just how important father's are, biological or adoptive. No family can really thrive without two parents to share the experience and responsibility of parenting. It always amazes me when men can adopt "another man's children" and give them his name and legacy without hesitation. Your father was truly extraordinary to add a seventh child to his family can give you so much of his love and knowledge. How lucky you are, Mike.

Also, our society has done a very good job of dismissing the importance of fatherhood and male models. Our boys for at least two or three generations now have grown without the emotional support and guidance that only a man can give to children. Men have been maligned and disgraced in the effort to bring "equality" to the sexes, to our infinite peril. Yeah, I get it. A woman can survive on her own and as a single parent. Survive. However, can she and her children truly thrive without the contributions of knowledge that comes from a man, especially one like your father who was so deeply self-actualized and psychologically healthy. He was a rare man and a standard for all ... women as well as men ... to follow. We've lost that kind of model in our society. Thank you for this piece, Mike. And Happy Father's Day to you.

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Thank you, Sue. We all need great role models, definitely. Happy Father's Day to you. as well.

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Jun 18, 2023Liked by Mike Goodenow Weber

How blessed you were to be raised by that man and his wife...he left you a great legacy.....I am sue you miss him.

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Jun 16Liked by Mike Goodenow Weber

You have a beautiful father. Happy father's day Mike.

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Thank you, Lee.

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Well done and heartfelt

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Thanks, Richard.

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Such a lovely tribute to your father, Mike! He sounds amazing.

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Thank you, Priya.

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A touching piece Mike

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Thank you, Michael.

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You get more than close, Mike. This was a lovely tribute. I'm smiling at your good fortune. xo

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Thank you, Sandra.

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Jun 19, 2023Liked by Mike Goodenow Weber

This is a beautiful tribute!

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Thank you, Christopher.

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Wow. Your father sounds like an amazing man. I’m sure he’s instilled in you all that wisdom and is confident you are passing it on with empathy and compassion--just like him.

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Thanks a lot, Kim.

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Lovely tribute. He sounds like an amazing man that anyone would have been lucky to know.

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Thanks, Bill.

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Jun 18, 2023Liked by Mike Goodenow Weber

A very thoughtful post, Mike - Happy Father's Day. I also was adopted, but had a very different relationship with my father than you had with yours. I'll probably write about it someday.

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Thanks, Troy. Happy Father's Day. Hope to read your experience someday.

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Beautiful!

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Glad you liked it, Anu.

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