Father’s Day – it’s that time when ‘Happy Families’ sit down to big 3 course lunches and celebrate the joy of being together.  Is that how Father’s Day was for you?  (I don’t think I’ve ever had a Father’s Day like that!) 

For many of us, our relationships with our Fathers are somewhat more complex than the Greeting Card Slogans they churn out for Hallmark Holidays like Father’s Day.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had that kind of matey, mythologised Father and Son relationship where we go camping together, or spend the afternoon fishing and talking about the meaning of life. My relationship with my Dad is good, but it hasn’t been like that.

What was your relationship with your father like when you were young?  How has it changed over time?

Perhaps your relationship with your father has improved and mellowed with age, like a good wine.  (A friend was telling me that their stoic, authoritarian father has become more ‘huggy’ and affectionate as time has gone on.) Or perhaps you’ve grown apart.  Maybe there was a dramatic turning point in your relationship, brought on by tragedy or illness or the birth of a child. 

How has your relationship with your Father changed over the years?