By — Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/wish-dad-said-died Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What I wish my dad said before he died Health Jun 19, 2015 12:03 PM EDT Editor’s note: This is the third installment of cartoonist Jack Ohman’s series “The Care Package,” for PBS NewsHour. Growing up, Jack Ohman often saw his father with a drink in his hand and little energy to dote over his son. Decades of alcohol consumption left his dad with an entangled series of disabling health problems. In turn, Ohman found himself wrestling with a sense of longing for a childhood filled with “baseball and hotdogs and family outings” that he never enjoyed with his father. “Is it payback time, or is it step-up-to-the-plate time? When he got sick, there wasn’t a choice for me,” Ohman said. “I just did what I felt I had to do. I couldn’t walk away.” More than anything, Ohman craved “meaningful moments” with his father. He never expected the man to give him an apology for years of hurt brought on by his father’s drinking, but Ohman hoped for just an acknowledgement of what happened. “It never came,” he said. Look for the final installment in Ohman’s cartoon series about his experience taking care of his father, arriving in July. Read part 4 of 5: In my dad’s final weeks, I was still in denial Sign up to be notified when we publish the next installment * indicates required Email Address * We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee Jack Ohman joined The Sacramento Bee in 2013. He previously worked at the Oregonian, the Detroit Free Press and the Columbus Dispatch. His work is syndicated to more than 200 newspapers by Tribune Media Services. Jack has won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the Scripps Foundation Award and the national SPJ Award, and he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and the Herblock Prize in 2013. Contact Jack at johman@sacbee.com. Twitter: @JACKOHMAN. @jackohman
Editor’s note: This is the third installment of cartoonist Jack Ohman’s series “The Care Package,” for PBS NewsHour. Growing up, Jack Ohman often saw his father with a drink in his hand and little energy to dote over his son. Decades of alcohol consumption left his dad with an entangled series of disabling health problems. In turn, Ohman found himself wrestling with a sense of longing for a childhood filled with “baseball and hotdogs and family outings” that he never enjoyed with his father. “Is it payback time, or is it step-up-to-the-plate time? When he got sick, there wasn’t a choice for me,” Ohman said. “I just did what I felt I had to do. I couldn’t walk away.” More than anything, Ohman craved “meaningful moments” with his father. He never expected the man to give him an apology for years of hurt brought on by his father’s drinking, but Ohman hoped for just an acknowledgement of what happened. “It never came,” he said. Look for the final installment in Ohman’s cartoon series about his experience taking care of his father, arriving in July. Read part 4 of 5: In my dad’s final weeks, I was still in denial Sign up to be notified when we publish the next installment * indicates required Email Address * We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now