Good and bad family roots

So today the priest was talking about Roots, the Alex Haley book about his 'family' (was said to be somewhat fictional if I recall)-a black family whose roots were traced back to a slave ship and Africa. Now my own roots are very diverse. I did know more about my mom's family then I did my dad's family. That was until my cousin out in Oregon was nice enough to send us (as a Christmas gift) this huge family photo book that included a family genealogy traced back to the 1600s which makes that side of my family one of the first families in America. My cousin had included some photos of 'us strangers' here on the east coast (she had made multiple copies for the whole family out west and gave us two copies of the book). She didn't have any photos of my younger brother at all. I had corresponded with her over the years, and she used mainly my photos. I sent her a present back. I made a little photo album with over 30 photos in it with my brothers and their families and newer ones of us. She didn't get back to me right away as she was sick with the flu, but she appreciated my gift. Here's my personal legacy-my father, who had fallen down and broken a bone in his upper right arm, was in the hospital and then nursing home, drying out. Nice, huh? Ann sent me the address and phone # like I was going to call or write to him. Hmmm... I knew this was happen. A man who abandoned his 4 kids and didn't care if we had food on the table needs some comfort as an old man. My hands are tied. To bother with him would be like putting a knife in my mom's back. She isn't well either. She was there for me, she gets my love and attention. I looked up at the stained glass window in church and prayed for my father asking for God's comfort because I could not give it to him.