Steve Martin's Dad

I was listening to Steve Martin's Born Standing Up, his memoir about his career in stand-up comedy before he turned to acting.

There is a passage at the end that made me cry. Steve's father was an unhappy, disgruntled and self-centered man. By self-centered, I mean his father was focused only on himself, uncaring and unaware of how his behavior impacted others, especially his son. I don't know if his father was an addict or alcoholic, but he had many of the traits.

Steve told the story of his sitting by his father's deathbed, when his father finally gained some self-awareness. His father was crying, and Steve asked him him the reason for his tears.

"I wish I could have returned some of the love I was given."

I cried when I read this. It was one of the saddest things I've heard. I felt bad this man didn't learn this before he died.