--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father was never around. It was almost…" description: "\"My father was never around. It was almost as if he didn't exist. I would tell my friends he was in Cleveland, on business. Sometimes, every six months ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/danny-aiello-24353_almost_my-father-was-never-around-it-was-almost_1163613.jpg" --- # My father was never around. It was almost as if he didn't… ![“My father was never around. It was almost as if he didn't exist. I would tell my friends he was in Cleveland, on business. Sometimes, every six months or so, he would come by for dinner.” quote by Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/danny-aiello-24353_almost_my-father-was-never-around-it-was-almost_1163613.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/danny-aiello-24353_almost_my-father-was-never-around-it-was-almost_1163613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/danny-aiello-24353_almost_my-father-was-never-around-it-was-almost_1163613.jpg) > “My father was never around. It was almost as if he didn't exist. I would tell my friends he was in Cleveland, on business. Sometimes, every six months or so, he would come by for dinner.” [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A father's absence creates a void, leading to fabricated stories and intermittent contact that never fully bridges the emotional gap. **In simple terms:** Dad was rarely there; I made up excuses. Key Takeaway Seek honest communication and healing. Themes family absence deception longing Mood melancholy reflective Type personal emotional When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal memoirs - support groups - parent‑child relationships Key Concepts psychology family dynamics coping mechanisms Questions to Reflect On - What impact did his absence have on you? - How can you rebuild trust? A Different Perspective Denial can prevent confronting pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleveland/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Come Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-dinner-855015/) [Didn Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-exist/) [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-didn/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Six months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six-months/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [“Frankie," she said softly, "do you know what my idea of heaven is? A place where the windows are always clean, and the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hudson/frankie-she-said-softly-do-you-know-what-my-idea-of-heaven-is-a-place/) [Helen Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hudson/) > [Tina, you fat lard, come get some DINNER!... Tina, eat. Food. Eat the FOOD! -Napoleon Dynamite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-dynamite/tina-you-fat-lard-come-get-some-dinner-tina-eat-food-eat-the-food/) [Napoleon Dynamite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-dynamite/) > [“I’d like to think that when I invite friends to my house, they know what I’m really saying is, “I love you; come for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-garten/i-d-like-to-think-that-when-i-invite-friends-to-my-house-they-know/) [Ina Garten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-garten/) > [Every day at about four o'clock, I would go up to a farmhouse - or whatever kind of house was around - and knock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/every-day-at-about-four-o-clock-i-would-go-up-to-a-farmhouse-or/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [ Holly McGhee said I should come to dinner with them. That first dinner, I said something pretty smart-alecky, and Alison \[McGhee\] laughed really hard… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/holly-mcghee-said-i-should-come-to-dinner-with-them-that-first-dinner/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Ha. "Against my will I am sent to bid you come into dinner." There's a double meaning in that. -Benedick (Much Ado)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ha-against-my-will-i-am-sent-to-bid-you-come-into-dinner-there-s-a-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“You must all come for dinner,’ Caitlin’s mother called over her shoulder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-all-come-for-dinner-caitlin-s-mother-called-over-her-shoulder/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ghosts are common to the life of any child:mine just happened to come to dinner more often than most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinaw-mengestu/ghosts-are-common-to-the-life-of-any-child-mine-just-happened-to-come/) [Dinaw Mengestu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinaw-mengestu/) > [A free-loader is a confirmed guest. He is the man who is always willing to come to dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/a-free-loader-is-a-confirmed-guest-he-is-the-man-who-is-always-2/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/tell-the-truth-work-hard-and-come-to-dinner-on-time/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Tina, you fat lard, come get some DINNER!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-dynamite/tina-you-fat-lard-come-get-some-dinner/) [Napoleon Dynamite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-dynamite/) > [It's getting so people no longer count the silverware when I come to dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/it-s-getting-so-people-no-longer-count-the-silverware-when-i-come-to/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [A free loader is a confirmed guest. He is the man who is always willing to come for dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-free-loader-is-a-confirmed-guest-he-is-the-man-who-is-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Well it’s good to have a car like that, once in a while somebody’ll say, ‘why don’t you come over for dinner?’ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-it-s-good-to-have-a-car-like-that-once-in-a-while-somebody-ll/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I like that you’re jealous.” “Rogan, put the car back.” “Come to dinner with me tonight and I’ll consider it.” Yes! “No. I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-like-that-you-re-jealous-rogan-put-the-car-back-come-to-dinner-with/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) ## More by Danny Aiello > [People have an image of Italians. When I go somewhere in the world, I don't care where it is, when they look at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/people-have-an-image-of-italians-when-i-go-somewhere-in-the-world-i/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [My father was a good man, but he was a con man. He was a wanderer, nomadic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/my-father-was-a-good-man-but-he-was-a-con-man-he-was-a-wanderer/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [I was just so blatantly shy throughout my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/i-was-just-so-blatantly-shy-throughout-my-life/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [There was certainly less profanity in the Godfather than in the Sopranos. There was a kind of respect. 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I missed all that adoration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/my-father-never-saw-me-play-ball-and-i-was-an-outstanding-ballplayer/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [If I stunk for some reason, you can always blame it on the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/if-i-stunk-for-some-reason-you-can-always-blame-it-on-the-character/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [The choreographer for the Milton Berle show wanted me to audition. I walked away from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/the-choreographer-for-the-milton-berle-show-wanted-me-to-audition-i/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [Death can't be so bad if mom went through it. It makes it easier for the child to follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/death-can-t-be-so-bad-if-mom-went-through-it-it-makes-it-easier-for/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [I was 40 when I did my first movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/i-was-40-when-i-did-my-first-movie/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [If I didn't start singing in the cabarets and on my albums, I could have never even tried something like 'Capone.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/if-i-didn-t-start-singing-in-the-cabarets-and-on-my-albums-i-could/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [I have sons, and they have never said the word hell in front of me or my wife. That's the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/i-have-sons-and-they-have-never-said-the-word-hell-in-front-of-me-or/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [I'm a traditionalist. I have certain values I live by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/i-m-a-traditionalist-i-have-certain-values-i-live-by/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [I used to make up stories about my father. I would go to the movies and look for a character who looked like my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/i-used-to-make-up-stories-about-my-father-i-would-go-to-the-movies/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [I fell in love with the most beautiful girl in the Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/i-fell-in-love-with-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the-bronx/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) [Explore all 24 Danny Aiello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) ## More Almost quotes > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. 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I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [It's almost inevitable there's going to be an escalation on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-luther/it-s-almost-inevitable-there-s-going-to-be-an-escalation-on-both-sides/) [Bill Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-luther/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/almost-every-monday-i-have-a-charity-thing-i-like-that-i-do/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. 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