I’ve mentioned Peter Ehrlich before. He very kindly sent me a link to his latest piece in The Star.
Peter’s mother was a single mother who did everything she could to make ends meet, including collecting bottles for the rebate. In today’s economy, I think we’re all going to find that a second and third stream of income is going to become critical… I know that I’m looking for ways to supplement my income so I can afford the life my son (and I) deserve.
But Peter’s essay isn’t about his mother, really. It’s about the man who chose to become his father.
When I was 5 years old, I told my mother, “I want a daddy” and a year later I was sitting on Gunther Ehrlich’s lap.
She asked, “How would you like Gunther to be your father?” Without hesitation, I said, “Yes.” When I found out we shared the same birthday, Dec. 6, the deal was spiritually sealed.
Until meeting him I had never fished, seen stars in the sky, walked in the woods or visited a zoo.
Gunther Ehrlich took me everywhere and introduced me to a new and beautiful world that I explored with unbridled joy.
What kind of a man chooses to be a father to someone else’s child? Peter includes a lovely list of qualities that make up such a man. My favorite? “Finds joy in giving to children because the torch he wants to pass on isn’t defined by his last name, but rather the quality of love he feels a natural desire to impart.”
Oh, Peter. You are a lucky boy, indeed.
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