Whenever anyone asks me about my relationship with my dad, I think twice before I respond.

I’m Mark Anthony Waters with a commentary from Youth Radio.

Do I talk about the guy who was practically a sperm donor who gave me my looks, or the person who stepped up and sacrificed to make sure I was OK?

When I was two, after my Dad left, auntie Denise was the one who went after him for child support.

Since then, I have clung to her.

She lived next door and we spent hours and hours together when my mom was at work or school.

I was fortunate enough to grow up with both my mother and father in my life. My parents divorced when I was four years old, but my father has been there for me my whole life. Almost all my friends were fortunate to have their father’s in their lives, but some weren’t. I’ve been working at Youth Radio since I was 16. My father tried to get me into Youth Radio when I was 10; he gave me the value of always bettering myself and reaching for the stars. Read more...

My dad and mom separated when I was 3 years old. I can still remember the day my mom left him standing in the driveway of The French Quarter, a Creole restaurant he and my mother built and ran in Alameda, California. He was wearing a light colored shirt and stood watching as I waved back at him through the car window. It was as if it was a normal goodbye.

But after that day, my mother and grandmother didn’t make it easy for my dad to see me. I remember asking myself all these questions: Where is he? Why doesn't he come pick me up? Doesn't he know where we are?