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by Reginald Underdue (Author)
Life Is Fair: A Reflection on the Man Who Made Me begins with Reginald Underdue standing before a mirror after his father's death, reflecting on fifty years of memories, lessons, and love. It is a memoir about grief, but more than that, it is a portrait of Samuel Underdue, a Black man from North Carolina who built an extraordinary life on a two-year technical degree, an unshakable work ethic, and a philosophy of fatherhood rooted in discipline, sacrifice, consistency, and truth. From beginning to end, Reginald revisits the moments that formed him: his father picking him up from his first job at four in the morning, teaching him to save before he spent, helping him buy his first home, correcting him without humiliation, and leading his family without raising his voice. Lessons Reginald only partly understood as a boy become a blueprint for his work, marriage, fatherhood, and the way he manages grief as an adult. As he recognizes his father's voice, values, and habits emerging in his own life, Reginald sees that Samuel's influence did not end with his death. It continues through his children and grandchildren, revealing three generations of men walking the same road. In telling Samuel's story, Reginald also offers a needed tribute to the many good Black fathers whose steady presence, sacrifice, and love have too often gone unseen. This is a book for every son still becoming the man his father hoped he would be, every daughter who understands that love is often expressed through consistency, every father trying to build something that will outlast him, and every person who has lost someone whose presence shaped the rhythm of everyday life.
