Bill Read hands down!
I admired him from a far daily watching him sit in court with stoic strength. Day after day, he showed up well-groomed and steadfast in his unwavering loyalty and love for his daughter. We celebrate today all the Dads across the country, but this year Bill Read is a stand out when it comes to integrity, class and decency. This trial may bankrupt him, but all he wants is for his daughter to be free.
I was told this at dinner Friday night and left thinking to myself anyone would be lucky to have Bill Read for a father. I’m sure his daughter knows how lucky she is, but for someone who didn’t grow up with a Dad in the home for most of her life, it is all the more noticeable. 1 in 4 kids in the U.S. grow up without a father in the home. Many times when people find themselves in a bad spot, you can easily say “he had it coming”. Bill Read did not. He had a distinguished career and has been married for many years to the same women. I worry about how many years this ordeal has taken off his life.
Many men would crumble under the emotional and financial pressure that he has endured. Instead, he found inner strength to carry on. He is a role model to all the men and Dads in the world to never give up on your kid.
We had dinner with him and his wife Friday in Fall River at the 110 Grill. Instead of focusing on himself and his own hardship as so many do, he took the time to ask me a lot of questions about my role with the network. And he was actively listening with relevant follow up questions. I was amazed at how put together he was. He really should have been more tired than me, but I don’t think he was.
I’ve seen other incredible dads over the years including my best friend’s Dad. He too was a man that invested a tremendous amount of time raising his kids. From picking up me on countless Friday afternoons to drive me up to his lake house or coaching our soccer team, he was a pilar in the community. I can assure he was not drinking alcohol with his kids after midnight. Minutes after dinner, he would yell, get the ball let’s all go outside and play some sort of sport. Or on the way up to the lake house, he would say, “let’s take the boat out as soon as we arrive”.
We need more Dads involved and active in the kid’s lives. In essence, we need more Bill Reads.
