a tiger wrote:
Somewhere along the line, your sons might have gotten disillusioned with the American dream because of this. Get a good job, get married, buy house, car, kids etc etc just might not appeal to them and they might have gotten withdrawn.
That's pretty much me...and my dad didn't even abandon us...parents just got divorced & mother moved us a long ways away for her own sanity (it was the right call for us & I understand it now in adulthood). Dad still visited about once every other month & was a good father for the most part while staying involved...but things got very dark as the years went along and I became more & more socially isolated. I'm now in my mid-30's, single, no kids, rarely date as I sabotage any real connections that develop (recently did to a long-term relationship that was definitely heading toward marriage), middling career that keeps me renting a spare bedroom with very little to my name. Just became very disillusioned with this existence...having a family sounds repulsive to me...too much responsibility & would never want to risk doing to them what was done to me. I'm figuring it out & finally in therapy & probably on depression/anxiety drugs soon...but I'm aware that many around me sense I'm just a little...off. Including my father. My sister ended up the same way....though she's never had a relationship & yet to seek therapy. The upside? Neither of us will probably ever reproduce so at least the line (or at least the last name) ends with us?
Oh, advice...I don't know man. Just be a supportive part of their life without expecting anything in return & hope they don't procreate. And if this was a troll, hopefully this resonated with someone who was drawn to the topic anyway...