I knew at an early age that I wanted to grow up and be a father. Although my father wasn’t there for me, I wanted to have kids and to be a father. I didn’t want to be a distant father but wanted to make certain that my kids had me there in their lives. The choice of whether to become a parent is not an easy one.

If alcoholism and dysfunction marred your childhood, there’s a moment when you need to make a decision on whether being a parent is right for you. Maybe you decided not to become a parent, and maybe you did.