When I was growing up, my parents divorced when I was an infant. I ended up living with my maternal grandparents - and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better upbringing. My grandparents were incredible people, and I had a happy childhood because of them.

My grandfather was a great man. Kind, hardworking, and an amazing father figure to me when I was little. But he worked long hours at the steel plant - typically the 3-to-11 shift - so I didn't get to see him much during the week. He'd be heading out right as I was coming home from school. Like a lot of kids with working fathers, I mostly saw him on the weekends. But those moments mattered. He made them count.

Unfortunately, he passed away when I was 12. That left a huge hole during those important teenage years.

My biological father is a great guy today. I love him to death, and we're on fantastic terms now. But back then, he wasn't really around. He was still figuring his life out. While we've reconciled since, he just wasn't a father figure to me during my youth.

So from age 13 onward, I didn't really have that "dad" in my life. Not in the traditional sense.

And then... along came Star Trek: The Next Generation.*

It might sound silly to some, but Captain Picard became my father figure. That whole Star Trek crew felt like a surrogate family. Picard showed me what it meant to be a man - thoughtful, responsible, principled. He took care of his crew. He led with both strength and empathy. He mentored Wesley, he respected his team, and he always tried to do the right thing, even when it was hard. That stuck with me.

So many people ask me why I'm obsessed with Star Trek. This is why.

Through Star Trek, I also absorbed messages about tolerance, science, compassion, diplomacy, and hope for the future. All things that shaped how I see the world.

And while I never had a traditional father figure through my teenage years, I had that. And it was enough.

Today, I try to pass those values on. I raised two kids of my own. They're grown now - good people with strong character and kind hearts. I don't see them nearly as often as I'd like to, but they're always in my thoughts.

So today, on Father's Day, I just want to say: father figures come in many forms. If you've got one in your life - whether it's a dad, a grandparent, a mentor, a teacher, or even a fictional starship captain - take a minute to appreciate them.

Because the people who help shape you don't have to be there every day. Sometimes they just have to show up when it counts.

LLAP
RR

* I was born in 1972, so I watched reruns of the original Trek when it was on, but I wasn't passionate about it, because you don't really understand it as a young child. When Next Gen came on, I was at the perfect age to "get it."

P.S. I added this as a comment on Brent's post this morning: Thanks... same to all of you who are fathers... whether to humans or fur babies (or feather babies)... I've had them all, and I can say the level of difficulty goes (in ascending order): Humans, cats, birds, dogs. Although my animals never wrecked my car... soooo....