[BigV]

I've been a step child and a step parent. I was the child of a single parent for a good portion of my childhood. A lot of that time, I have no memory of my parent's romantic life, so, no opinion there. My parents divorced when I was very young and my sister and I lived with our Dad. My Dad died when I was ten, and then we went and lived with my Mom. She was already with another man who would become my stepdad.

Before they married, I was ready to attach to W as my new father figure. He treated me and my sister well. He was obviously in love with my Mom, which was as I thought it should be (to the extent that I thought of it at all). W had three sons from his recently deceased wife he brought to the union. It was not exactly the Brady Bunch, but it was pretty close.

Mom married W and he became my father. I referred to him as Dad, and still do, without missing a beat. He loved me (and my sister and my step brother and my half-sister) until the day he died. And I loved him and love him still.

My Mom lives a few miles away from me today, and I see her regularly. We have a good relationship. I miss both my Dads, but they live on in me and in my kids. They taught me how to be a man and a father. I can never repay that debt.