BROADCASTS.com

b'

Ted Williams was not a good father. We\\u2019ve written about this before, but it bears restating for our purposes here that while he was the greatest hitter to ever play baseball, he was quite literally the opposite as a father, totally neglecting the responsibilities of being a dad...until eventually his hardened exterior cracked. With time, and mostly due to the persistent efforts of his children, he began to connect and share with them. He began to be the father they had wanted and needed for so long.\\xa0

There is one scene in Wright Thompson\\u2019s profile of Williams\\u2019 daughter that shows Ted learning one of the most basic lessons of being a great father\\u2014one that we could all use a reminder of today (and, by the way, one that will make you a better husband and boss and person too). It happened when Claudia was going through a painful breakup. For some reason, she decided she would actually open up to her father about it, that she\\u2019d actually invite this man who had rejected her so many times when she was younger into her private pain. Almost immediately it became tense, a kind of argument about what to do.\\xa0

\\u201cPlease don\\u2019t be mad,\\u201d she pleaded with him. \\u201cJust listen to me. I am hurting.\\u201d

Williams grinded his teeth and struggled with his impotence towards another person\\u2019s problem. \\u201cWhat the hell do you want me to do about it!\\u201d he shouted. \\u201cI can\\u2019t do a fucking thing.

Then Claudia said the words that every father needs to remember: \\u201cJust tell me you love me.\\u201d

Then Williams said the words that every father needs to say: \\u201cJESUS CHRIST. I love you more than you\\u2019ll ever know.\\xa0

Most importantly, he did what you need to do more of, when your spouse has a problem, when your kids have a problem, when they come to you with news or with worries or with mistakes. He listened. Just listen. That\\u2019s all you have to do. You don\\u2019t always have to solve their problems You don\\u2019t have to tell them what they did wrong. You don\\u2019t have to make it go away. You just have to hear them.\\xa0

Because as often as not, what your loved ones are really looking for is love, not lessons. They don\\u2019t want fixes, they want friendship. They want a sympathetic ear, a confederate, someone to be on their side and to say \\u201cyou\\u2019re right, screw those guys!\\u201d. You don\\u2019t need to have all the answers, you just have to let them know that you hear them and you love them.\\xa0

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.