Steve saw the world. He knew the freedom of being at sea as a serving sailor but his blow-with-the-wind independence came at a price.

The guilt. With a wife and two young boys left behind on shore, he found a life at sea was increasingly hard to square with his conscience as a husband and father.

Steve [pictured above at a quay-side reunion in the Eighties] has since left the Royal Navy and told me about the problem of juggling a military career with a family.

It was my latest case-study interview for Inside Fatherhood, my forthcoming book to be published by BRF in 2018.

Here’s a taste of his experience of fatherhood:

“Most of us would take ourselves off to a quiet place and sit alone with our thoughts. It sounds really girly but I used to tell the kids to look at the moon and think about how I was looking at the same moon.

“I sent them postcards from all over the world and wrote them both individual letters. In return, they would send me voice tapes. The tapes got me every time.

“Those were the moments I’d have to shut the door and put up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.”

Do you have an experience of fatherhood to share? Contact me if you would be interviewed for the book.

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