My Father

Malachy McCourt was always looked down upon as an eejit from the North. Even though he drank and never supported us, I looked up to him in my early childhood. He was the one who told me stories and managed to cheer me up when I was in the worst moods. He was a good man, despite his mistakes my father managed to show me sides of him that sometimes made me forget about how he's a drunk failure. When my sister Margaret was born, we all saw a side of my father that we were never exposed to. Throughout my sister's short life, never did my father touch alcohol, he was devoted to being a good father and that took priority over the pubs. He brought home the wages and went back to making sure everyone was fed and happy. Even though I will never forgive him for what he did to our family, I won't ever forget the day my father turned into a good man; even if it was just for a little while. It made me realize that my father too, was human. Capable of feeling such compassion for a person that it changes him. Margaret was somehow his wake-up call, that made him realize that he needs to keep his life, and his family together at any cost. Which brings me to the question: Was my father truly a good man at heart?