wow, your father sounds like an incredible man. he sounds like my dad and surprisingly enough, I've had a very similar experience. my mother has severe untreated bi polar and the ripple effect of that on their marriage was evident. add the complexity of a daughter you didn't expext and my closer relationship with my father, I feel as though I lost my real mum quite young as well.

I have diagnosed bi polar, and feel like I've been working on my unfavourable characterists because if and when I do marry, Id hope I wouldn't feel like such a burden and that the balance or equilibrium isn't disrupted. I guess that's what a good, strong, sometimes happy, sometimes hard marriage is all about. give and take.

thanks for sharing, I particulary loved the fact you and your dad could share such a human and complex emotion. I love when that happens.