Finding My Parents with Tim Dyson

Radio Show Surprise Ending. When I was growing up, professional athletes were a little less “professional” than today. T.V. cameras and interviews after the game often included “Hi Mom!” and thanks to their parents for getting them to such a success point. Back then, I found it a bit annoying, where now I miss the innocence and authenticity of it all.

Having done this show for the past year, I have been surprised by how many of our guests end up talking about their parents when we got into the deeper life issues. My mother died shortly after I turned three. My father died when I was only 22, and I’ve felt handicapped in life. I couldn’t take my wife-to-be to meet my Dad and it would have shown her a lot about me. I loved my Dad, but his failings and flaws impacted me for years into the future. In fact, they still do.

When a new baby comes into the world, it is common for the adoring family and close friends to make comments about how they have physical attributes of the mother or father. I find it ridiculous, impossible to discern, and as reliable as your daily horoscope. But as life goes on, often the genetic and character traits passed from parent to child are undeniable. Parents teach us what we should be like and model for us how to navigate this world with varying degrees of success.

So what do you do when that thing called a “nuclear family” betrays you, dies, gives you up for adoption, turns to booze, or just flakes in the myriad of other ways possible? What is it like to live life trying to fill out a form that asks for your father’s name, and you don’t know the answer? We’ve all seen the T.V. shows of adopted children becoming adults and going in search of their “biological” parents. They are gut-wrenching or emit heartwarming conclusions much rarer than the editing room floor would tell.

Where would one go to find such stories? Certainly, Jails and Prisons would be a place to start. The reality is one wouldn’t need to go to such lengths. Just listen when people around you begin talking about their own families. Strange and unique combinations of people, betrayal, and heartbreak lurk beneath the surface.

Today we have your local small business banker in Orange County. Need a business loan? He’s your man. He’s a great father to two handsome teenage boys. Active in his church. Let’s open the phone lines and ask him about family.

Welcome, Tim Dyson to Church Hurts And.