Dad is 83. He worked 2-3 jobs most of his life to take care of his family. Retired his last time at 77. Needless to say, he was always busy when we were kids. I will throw in, one of my siblings was developmentally disabled and got the bulk of mom and dad's attention. Rightfully so. When we did see him, he took us fishing, shooting, and bowling.
Dad is a hardcore Catholic only to be out Catholic'd by my mother. Was an altar boy as a kid and usher's every weekend at his church to this day.
He put my brother and sister thru college and made sure my disabled brother was in the right schools and eventually, group homes. Dad got on every board of directors to make sure he had say in how the special ed programs were ran in the facilities my brother was in. My brother is long gone and dad is still on the board of the last group home my brother lived in.
I am nothing like my father and everything like my father.
I made every bad decision I could with my life. He let me/made me pay for it. While I always loved him and respected him, we were not really close until my mother passed away 3 years ago. We went from speaking on holidays and fishing trips to almost daily. I see him once or twice a week now. My siblings are out of state and I handle whatever he needs help with.
I got a call from him this past Saturday morning. He got T-boned at an intersection and his car ends up hitting a kid on a scooter. Car is, I'm assuming, a total loss. Dad walked away uninjured. He went to church that evening and prayed for the kid he ran into.
That's my dad.