ESPN Producer Reveals the Powerful Biblical Truth That Led Him to Forgive His Alcoholic Dad

Billy Hallowell : Jan 22, 2018
CBN News/Faithwire.com

"'If I'm going to call myself a Christian, a Believer in Jesus, and I am taught to forgive on a daily basis ... but I'm not going to forgive him, what am I doing?'" -Jason Romano

[CBN News/Faithwire.com] —Forgiveness can be hard, especially when a loved one has wronged us. But, as Christians, we're commanded to offer grace to those who have hurt us ... no matter what. (Image: Book cover of "Live to Forgive"/by Jason Ramano/via Amazon)

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...

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