Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
14 years ago
Defining a fathers love in an open letter.. bravo.

http://lacrossetribune.com/sports/article_47005ffa-801b-11df-9721-001cc4c002e0.html 


You don't know it, son, but I'm watching you and smiling. We finally have some time to play together in the park, and I can see you're having fun. You want to swing. You want to go down the slide. You're making daddy's legs wobble chasing you. Not a care in the world, which is the way it should be for a 4-year old.

You'll never know how much I wish my life could be that simple.

Today is my last day as a La Crosse Tribune sportswriter. I spent most of my 22 years as a journalist here - more than five working part-time, and just under 13 as a full-timer. My new job, at least for the foreseeable future, is full-time, stay-at-home dad.

You'll never know how many times over the last few months I've stepped back and wondered how the heck I got here.

You'll never know the pain I felt that March 2008 day in the doctor's office. Mommy and I were worried because you hadn't been sleeping much. But she had other concerns. Your words, once abundant, had become few and far between. Loud sounds terrified you. You preferred running in circles over playing with your toys.

I don't remember much after hearing the doctor's preliminary diagnosis - autism - other than breaking down in the parking lot. Not my boy, I sobbed. Please, God, not my boy. Autism Spectrum Disorder affects so many children - one in 110, according to the Centers for Disease Control - and their families. Yet at that moment I felt so very alone.

You'll never know how determined your mother and I were to help make what at times must be a confusing, scary world for you a better place. We enlisted the help of therapists. We sent you off to school two days after you turned 3. Whatever it takes, I told the team of professionals who tested you that summer and confirmed your doctor's suspicions.

You'll never know how much I wanted, needed, to change my life after that March 2009 day in Madison. Your mother and I went to a seminar on autism. One of the speakers shared an alarming statistic: the divorce rate among couples with autistic children is 80 percent.

It was tough enough that your mother and I worked opposite shifts and seldom saw one another. Throw in trying to raise a child with special needs, and it wasn't exactly the way to achieve marital bliss. Something had to give.

You'll never know how much I love and cherish your mother for giving me her blessing to quit my job once we'd paid off our mortgage this past winter. She saw the strain I was under. How the cycle of working late into the evening and taking care of you during the day was taking its toll. You need to leave more than you realize, she said.

You'll never know the range of emotions I'm feeling today. I'm thrilled because now I get to spend a lot more time with you and Mommy, and I get to play a more prominent role in shaping your future. I'm relieved to be leaving on my own terms. I'm a little scared to be starting over at 39 years old. And of course, I'm sad.

You'll never know how much fun it's been to see where I came from - I got my start at the Tribune as a shy, 17-year-old Logan High School senior - and where I ended up.

It was the kind of job that was never boring. I covered Green Bay Packers games at Lambeau Field when Brett Favre played for the good guys. I covered the Milwaukee Brewers' first regular season game at Miller Park. I covered three WIAC title-winning UW-La Crosse football teams. The best times for me were when I was fortunate enough to cover a prep team or individuals who won state titles.

You'll never know how much I've enjoyed being around all the people this job has brought me in contact with over the years. The parents who want to see their kids succeed. The coaches and activities directors who love their jobs. The young adults I got to know as more than just athletes. The co-workers who encouraged me, challenged me and befriended me.

There's always a chance I might do some freelance work for the Tribune somewhere down the road. But unfortunately, kiddo, you'll never really know daddy, the sportswriter.

I'm sure one day you'll find the stack of papers I've saved over the years. Maybe you'll pick up one with my column mug on it and see that I once had a cool job. Maybe by then you'll have the words to ask me why I gave it up.

Just know this. I did it because I love you.


"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Users browsing this topic
    Fan Shout
    dfosterf (11-Jun) : There will be a mini camp practice Thursday.
    Zero2Cool (11-Jun) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.
    Martha Careful (10-Jun) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
    wpr (10-Jun) : That's awesome Martha.
    Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
    Martha Careful (10-Jun) : Turns out he like older women
    Martha Careful (10-Jun) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
    Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married
    Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : Well he can always ask his brother for pointers
    Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : Bo Melton taking some reps at CB as well as WR
    Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : key transactions coming today at 3pm that will consume more cap in 2025
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jaire played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 season
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : reported, but not expected to practice
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jenkins has REPORTED for mandatory camp
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : I really thought he'd play for Packers.
    buckeyepackfan (9-Jun) : Packers releasing Jaire Alexander.
    Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : (Context: he wants his defense to create turnovers)
    Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : Giants DC Shane Bowen tells players to “be a damn pirate."
    dfosterf (6-Jun) : Semper fi !
    Cheesey (6-Jun) : This is why I have so much respect for those that have gone through battles
    Cheesey (6-Jun) : I can't even imagine what that would have been like
    wpr (6-Jun) : "Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?"
    wpr (6-Jun) : Facing a line of machine guns 2 time medal of Honor recipient, First Sergeant Dan Daly told his men,
    wpr (6-Jun) : Another detachment went into the Belleau Wood.
    wpr (6-Jun) : On the 6th the Marines took Hill 142 but suffered terrible losses.
    wpr (6-Jun) : It’s time to remember dfoster’s Marine brothers in Belleau Wood. The battle went on from June 1-26. Nearly 10,000 casualties.
    packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett have signed with the PACK
    packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : he won't be wearing #12, maybe he will wear number two
    packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : He will fail this season, should have retired
    Mucky Tundra (5-Jun) : Thus the cycle of Hall of Fame Packer QBs going to the Jets and then the Vikings is broken
    bboystyle (5-Jun) : Rodgers to steelers on 1 year contract
    Zero2Cool (5-Jun) : It's the cycle of civilizations. Get lazier, lazier, softer, softer and vanish.
    Martha Careful (5-Jun) : great point. every aspect of society, including art, culture and sports has degraded.
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : Green Bay sweep meant something to society about stopping pure excellence. We have the tush push now
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : We old Martha.
    Martha Careful (4-Jun) : *front four
    Martha Careful (4-Jun) : Re frout four, I wish we had some Green "People Eaters" or a fearsome foursome
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : *directions*
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : Just don't ask him for driving direct
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : Jim Marshall was an all-time great DE for the Purple People Eaters. Didn't like him. That's a compliment. RIP
    Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : ooppppss
    Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : “Kenny Clark played all of last season hurt by the way and got surgery to fix it in January”
    Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood How much did the injury affect him last fall? “A lot.”
    Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood Kenny Clark said he had foot surgery in January. Injured his foot in opener against Eagles and played through it all year.
    Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : Golden is wearing guardian cap again. I bet he plays with it on too.
    Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : All the stuff I'm reading from Lions fans are pointing at his toe; he more or less has permanent turf toe in one of his big toes
    dfosterf (3-Jun) : Kenny played through it, and a shame he gets little credit for that, imo
    dfosterf (3-Jun) : Big men. I hope it's not the undoing of Kenny Clark
    dfosterf (3-Jun) : Probably his toe. Pretty much a great center. Toe injuries are brutal to bigen
    Mucky Tundra (2-Jun) : Lions All-Pro C Frank Ragnow retires
    Please sign in to use Fan Shout
    2025 Packers Schedule
    Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
    LIONS
    Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
    COMMANDERS
    Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
    Browns
    Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
    Cowboys
    Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
    BENGALS
    Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
    Cardinals
    Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
    Steelers
    Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
    PANTHERS
    Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
    EAGLES
    Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
    Giants
    Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
    VIKINGS
    Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
    Lions
    Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
    BEARS
    Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
    Broncos
    Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
    Bears
    Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
    RAVENS
    Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
    Vikings
    Recent Topics
    3h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Adam

    3h / Community Welcome! / Adam

    7h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

    18h / Random Babble / Martha Careful

    12-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    12-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    12-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    11-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    10-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

    10-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    7-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

    6-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    5-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    5-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    1-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

    Headlines
    Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.