My mother and father divorced when I was very young, and my mom remarried. My stepfather treated me like one of his own children and constrained my new older brother and sister to do the same. “There will be no ‘steps’ in this family!” So it was. He took pains to teach all of us self discipline. He showed us all father-love. He was friendly when my natural father came to visit me.
My natural father - within the limitations of our separation - took pains to be touch with me and be a part of my growing up. He taught me to fish with a fly rod - an uncommon way of fishing then for a boy from Texas. He contributed to my education through law school. When I was about thirty he and I moved to the same city to work and began to know one another on a daily basis.
One day when Mom was getting along in years, she looked at me and said: “You are fortunate to have two fathers who are honorable men.” She was right. I was more than fortunate; I was greatly blessed.
