Random thoughts: Dad’s replacement

Dad died at the age of fifty eight years old, when I was twenty one years old. He gave my first wife, Mickey, a ride to the hospital, when my youngest son, Billy, was born. I was working and by the time I got to the hospital, Billy popped out and she was sleeping.

Dad died in 1975 is buried at Arlington National Cemetery

No one could ever replace my dad. Even though he was an alcoholic and he scared us sometimes with his drinking, he was my dad. He seldom scared us though, so I still loved/love him dearly. His smile was the biggest around town and he was a great dad otherwise.

About twenty years ago, I realized I was adding a father figure in my life. I never called them dad or never told them of my obsession to have an older man in my life. They were someone to sit with and talk of old times in each others lives.

I think my mom pacified that need until she died. My first father stand in was a man from church, we became very close when mom got sick with cancer in ’98. He left by way of cancer shortly after she did. Since then there have been several other alternates. Their course out of my life was moving, death, or a number of other ways.

Mom died 1998 and is buried on top of dad at Arlington National Cemetery

I was wondering do you think this is a normal thing? I’m fine with it.