I had my say about Poppa G on the homepage, though of course I could go on. But one thing people keep saying — in the mountains of generous and supportive email — is how lucky I am to have had him as a dad. That’s true, of course. But I don’t feel lucky. If you’ve been given something from birth, you feel entitled to it. Intellectually, you may understand it’s a gift, but emotionally that awareness is very hard to maintain. And when that something is taken from you, it just feels unfair. I’m sure people born rich feel robbed when they become suddenly poor. People born athletically gifted feel like something has been stolen from them when they are injured. Well, I don’t feel lucky. Maybe I will in time. But not now. The time to feel lucky is when your dad’s still around.

Call your fathers. It’s father’s day. That’s a good excuse.