Alright… I don’t usually go off about things, or at least I haven’t in a while. I’ve basically kept myself under the radar and avoided anything dramatic for my own mental stability. However, when it comes to my family I have a hard time sitting back and not saying anything. I have a father who, mildly put, is just not a nice person. Never has been with no opportunity to rise above the money hungry alcoholic that I’ve known him as. I have not personally spoken with him in about 5 years now, but my 17 year old sister Lisa still has hope that he’ll be the father she thinks she needs him to be. Due to this, Lisa goes through a lot of emotional issues that creates her to make some really stupid life decisions. Her birthday was in April and upon emailing our father she found out that she was getting a card and a present (you’d think a father could remember the day his child was born-but that’s just too much to ask out of him) and excitedly waited until it came. Well, instead of it coming through the mail at home, she received a notice from the post office that there was a letter for her without enough postage. So, after going to the post office and paying the remainder of the postage needed for her own birthday card, she gets it home and opens it. It was a sappy “I love you daughter” sort of card (ha!) and a gift card. Now I know that a lot of people would’ve enjoyed this, but from a parent who’s idea of being a parent is an email three or four times a year, it’s quite disappointing. So, Lisa responded with an email to him asking him if he really even read the card… saying that the card was referring to all the wonderful memories that they’ve had together etc. And she was wondering what wonderful memories he had because in her memory she hasn’t seen him or actually had a real conversation with him since she was at least 12. Breaks your heart doesn’t it? To make matters worse, when he finally responded a month later, he responded with “haven’t heard from you in a while, hope everything’s ok. Dad” No real response… So, she writes him an email saying how hurt she was about all of this and how she wants the relationship with him but he doesn’t seem to… how she doesn’t know what to do, how do you live without your dad… When he actually picked up a phone (and I’m sure called my grandma to get the phone number) and called it was a awfully big surprise. So Lisa started trying to have a real conversation with him… telling him how she felt, etc. He “listened” to what she had to say and she ended her portion of feelings with a simple question: “do you love me?” Which, in my opinion, should be a very easy question for any parent. How you watch a child come into this world and raise them (every day) for at least 10 years and answer that question with a no I will never understand. That’s right… just when you thought he couldn’t get worse he surprised us all and told Lisa no, he didn’t love her. And when Lisa started to cry, he very “maturely” hung up the phone on her. Two hours later he wrote her an email though saying that he didn’t know how the phone got disconnected and he’ll have to talk to her later… Two hours? How do you not have love for your own child?