Dad regretting his initial response to son coming out sends him a heartwarming apology
Having a supportive parent who accepts their kids irrespective of their sexual orientation is truly a blessing. Reddit user u/thatsallsorry knew well how this acceptance solidified the foundation of a healthy relationship between him and his parents. In a now-viral post, he shared screenshots of the wholesome exchange he had with his dad one night. The conversation started on a funny note but ended on an emotional one. The dad revealed in the first text to his son that his wife had kicked him out of their bedroom, so he wanted to sleep in his son's room. "Why? What's wrong?" the concerned son asked. "Call me if you need to. I can talk." Then the dad revealed he had a few drinks and his wife asked him to sleep in another room because he was intoxicated.
"Oh. Then I support her. Sorry, old man," the son joked. Then, the conversation suddenly took a different turn and the dad told his son that he loved him and missed him very much. The father emotionally recalled an incident from their past when he had an unpleasant conversation with his son. "I am reminded of the night we sat on your bed and you told me that you liked boys. I am so full of regret when I think about how I reacted and the things I said to you in that moment," the father typed. "I wish I could go back and punch myself in the face. I am so sorry, buddy." At that point, the son had already moved on from that conversation as it was a long time ago. The man assured his father that he had no harsh feelings about that incident.
"You accepted my sexuality way quicker than I did. It took me years," the son continued. "You are an amazing father, the best I could ask for. I fell and failed so many times and you were always there to help me back up." In the man's words, his dad was always there to lead him out of any trouble and guide him on the right path. "The good things you did for me will always outshine that one moment which wasn't even bad," the son concluded. However, the man's father kept going back to the bitter memories he had created and admitted that he was unable to forgive himself. "Father, you are forgiven," his son wrote. "Bring a man home and I'll treat him like my own. Try me," his father joked in the next text to lighten up the mood.
In an additional comment, the man clarified a few things about the time when he came out. "There was no fight. This was one unpleasant conversation many years ago and some things were said out of shock. He came around fairly quickly. He apologized a lot of times since then, even though I tell him I'm over it." The rest of the Reddit community praised the man's dad for doing the right thing and owning up to his past actions. u/AllthingskinkCA commented, "I’m so happy for you. You have a good dad who took accountability and really wanted you to know you’re being supported."
u/Haunted___ mentioned, "The hasta la vista baby is such a dad way to end a conversation. This was so sweet! I love the relationship you have with your dad." u/dixonticonderog2 joked, " You two have a great relationship but damn, your dad really terminated himself with the drink that night." u/Much-Cartoonist4396 quipped, "I love the aggression poking through." u/Tyrokos1991 added, "Dad is awesome. This is from someone whose dad told them he would disown them and not have a son if they married a black girl. I’m glad your dad is still around to tell you how he feels and make things right."