great post!

i know TOO MANY people whose father walked away and wiped his hands clean. it is so hard to help a kid or teen know that it is ABSOLUTELY not THEIR FAULT!

i have been honest and told my son that his father had emotional problems that have caused him to "not be a good team" and that he simply doesn't know HOW to be a father.

for many though, a random card might simply pour salt in the wounds and punctuate the parent's absence. it must be considered on a case-by-case basis.