Of course, this is often easier said than done, as evidence in stories shared by people like former ESPN producer Jason Romano. Romano's parents divorced when he was just 6 years old, though he said his dad was "always around."

Eventually, though, his dad developed a problem with alcoholism - and, over the years, Romano said that it sparked scores of problems. He shares these struggles in his new book, "Live to Forgive: Moving Forward When Those We Love Hurt Us."

"I remember going to the bar as a kid, and he would get me a soda and let me play the pinball machine while he was at the bar watching the game with his buddies," Romano told Faithwire. "I remember things like that, but at that time, that's not abusive to me. That's just kind of a kid with a soda playing video games, you know?"

As the years wore on, though, that dynamic dramatically changed. He recalled a specific incident in 1984 when his father took him to his first NFL game between the Eagles and Giants—a moment that left him embarrassed and saddened.

"My dad was the one who took us to this game. The only memories I have from this game are terrible memories of him being drunk, him yelling and screaming and getting in fights with the fans from the Eagles, my dad was a Giants fan, and is a Giants fan," Romano said. "Then the drive back and being scared in the back seat because my dad and my stepmom ... were arguing, and my dad was swerving all over the road because he had been drinking too much. That's one of the earliest memories I have of him."

Romano described his relationship with his dad as being somewhat of a "rollercoaster of good and very, very bad." While he had a good dialogue with his dad as a teen, alcoholism often got in the way.

Tragically, his father missed many of the most important and transformational moments in his life.

"The first time my dad ever went to rehab, was when I was in high school, caused him to miss my high school graduation," he said. "He was in rehab for my college graduation. He was in rehab during the birth of my daughter, during the day my wife and I got married. There were a lot of big moments, these are huge moments for a man, a person, and my dad wasn't at any of them."

Over time, resentment naturally took root as did bitterness and anger. What was once a father-son relationship had become more of a "friendly conversation with someone." Romano said that his father would sometimes get drunk and that he would receive a "very abusive" phone call.

Romano soon found himself putting up boundaries to try and protect his family. Then, in 2013, Romano's father hit his lowest point yet. That's when Romano finally started experiencing true empathy for...

Click here to continue reading.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

America Reads the Bible' Kicks Off in DC in Record-Breaking Fashion

Sweden Rethinks Digital Learning, Returns to 'Old-Fashioned' Books in Effort to Reverse Poor Literacy

Supreme Court Rejects Parents' Challenge to Massachusetts School Trans Policy

Gay Couple Face Online Fury for Video Making Fun of Crying Baby: 'There Is No Mama'

The Electoral College and the Popular Vote

The DOJ Has Found HOW MANY Dead People on Voter Rolls?

President Donald Trump to Read Scripture during America Reads the Bible; Issues Historic Message About the Bible's 'Enduring Guidance'

US Military Boards Iranian Ship in Gulf; Trump Threatens No More 'Mr. Nice Guy' if Talks Fail

Long Beach, California Cancels Their Popular July 4th Fireworks Show, Even for America's 250th Birthday, Citing Pollution as the Reason

Digital Nightmare? Anthropic Withholds AI Model Too Dangerous for Humanity

'A Victory for All Pro-Life Oregonians': Federal Judge Rules State Can't Force Oregon Right to Life to Pay for Abortions

10 Republicans Side With Dems to Provide Amnesty to Haitian Illegals

Virginia Dems Pass National Popular Vote Law that Experts Warn Is Unconstitutional

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Begins; Trump Says Iran's Regime Agrees to Give Up Having Nuclear Weapons

President Trump: Strait of Hormuz 'Fully Open', Oil Prices Drop

Clarence Thomas Destroys 'Progressivism' in Ruthless Speech

Trump Reveals He Has Multi-Pick SCOTUS Plan Ready as Justice Retirement Speculation Heats Up

Trump Admin Pushes Global Plan to Protect Kids Online

Youth Mental Health Deteriorates after Gender Reassignment Services, Extensive, Long-Term Study Finds

Trump Administration Pulls $11 Million in Funding for Catholic Charities that Sheltered Illegal Alien Minors