The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

I was recently forced to confront a question that caused me great pause.

It was insidiously simple in its nature. While cashing a few beers on the patio with my cousin Tyler from Texas, conversation shifted to the recent tribulations of a close relative and concerns about his young children.

Tyler, who was basically raised by his mother, nonchalantly asked, “Was your dad your hero growing up?”

I froze and stared forward with a blank expression. It wasn’t a question I had ever thought about before, simply because I never had to.

I grew up in a stable family with few issues. Fights wer...