A Strained Relationship

In Robert Hayden's Those Winter Sundays, the author describes a scene that is mildly familiar.  From his initial description, it appears he lives alone with his father.  His father seems to be a hard-working provider, but not the most approachable of guys.  He seems like a good man, heating the house early on Sunday and even cleaning the good shoes of his son, but there does not seem to be a lot of communication or actual interaction between the two.  The author basically states they don't speak often, saying, "No one ever thanked him," (Hayden).  This lack of an actual relationship between the two likely resulted in loneliness from both of them.  The final line suggests that they both love each other and are lonely, but don't quite know how to properly express it.  This is a familiar circumstance, as many sons have trouble communicating and sharing their thoughts and feelings with their dads.  Though usually a relationship can exist, it would usually be a shallow one that involves little deep thought.  The circumstance of this story is an extreme, but still a common example of father-son relationships.