devastation

I wrote an e-mail to my father at his work address because I don't want my step-mom to hear about my troubles.  My father wrote me back to tell me he was devastated and would try to do something to help although I wrote that I just needed his ear. (If you haven't been lucky enough to have good parents, what Dad said is what a good parent would say.)

Dad won't do anything.  He can't.  He isn't capable of it and I know it.  I don't fault him any more.  I look at the fathers of so many people and just thank God that I got one who was loyal, loving and kind.  So his promises have often been empty ones...  he's only human.