My Father Never Said I Was Right. Here’s Why That Was a Gift.

By Steve Moran

I grew up in a conservative religious family with a father who was critical of everything.

As the firstborn, I don’t ever remember him being proud of me. Not once. I grew up feeling guilty, afraid, and incompetent. I was oh so shy.

In my logical brain, I’ve worked through most of it. But on occasion, the emotions still surface and cause real suffering, even now, decades later.

For a long time, I thought my father gave me nothing but wounds.

I was wrong about that.