A sad reality

I live in a condo complex that has a pool. So the other day, Hunter and i went down to the pool for a little while. There was a little boy the same age as Hunter with his dad there. So, inevitably the boys swam together. At one point I heard the little boy ask Hunter about his dad. To which Hunter replied, "i dont have a dad." And of course the little boy starts saying ,'yes you do, everyone has a dad' and that's about the point where his father intervened.

Now, this is not an uncommon question or answer for Hunter. His father hasn't seen him in over 2 1/2 years and even before then he was always in-and-out of his life. I've always talked to him about it and explained to him that not everyone has a dad or even a mom. I always made it seem like its no big deal and for him its just the way it is he really doesn't know any different. However, i found that since he started kindergarten last year, it seems to be bothering him a lot now. I think he sees all his friends at school with their dads and feels like he's missing out on something. Now, he gets sad when he tells people he doesn't have a dad, and he'll say things like he wishes he had a dad. He knows who is father is, but since he isn't part of his life anymore he thinks he'll get a "new" dad someday. And i want you to know that he does have a father figure in his life. My grandfather, who is only 67, and Hunter are extremely close. They do so much together, and my son wants to be just like him when he grows up. I mean, they go out lobstering together, to motorcycle shows, all sorts of stuff. I couldn't ask for a better father figure for him. They are truely two peas in a pod. When they made fathers day gifts at school he made it for his papa. But even still, there is a small void in his life that neither myself nor my grandfather can fill.

It just breaks my heart.