Do I Forgive My Father?

Just to keep a long story short.

I did not have a goof a father going up. He had gambling issues, gambled all our money away, beat my mom, and is the reason we can't own a house until almost 30 years later, no money for college, etc. Never works, can't keep a steady job for more than a year, etc.

In recent 2-3 years, he moved to another state to work and me and siblings have not talked to him since, did not bother to check on him, etc.
He also doesn't speak English well and me and siblings don't speak the main language well and we're Asians and asians don't express feelings really with each other.

Anyways, today, randomly on a chatting app, a translated message comes by from my dad pretty much just saying things like he's sorry for the things he's done, how he's so proud of me and my siblings, how we should treat others going forward, wishing us well, etc.

I'm not sure how to respond to that or if I should even respond. I don't even know if I forgive the guy....

i feel like he might be serious, just give him a chance? you don't have to forgive him now/

try to see him and see if he's really changed

You don't have to forgive him if you don't have the heart to. But try to give him a chance in the case he really changed for the better.

i have similar case with you.

My father also leave my mom and our families when i was a teneeger. He never pay our education fees or something to eat for 10 years. So i and my sister worked hard to made our families keep lives.

But early in this year he came and said he had a serious problem with his heart. He need got heart surgery asap and he didnt have any familoes tò help him. So i did help him for administrations and waited him in the hospital.

Actually I didnt know how i feel about him for years. And even i helped him for a few months i still dont know how i feel about him until today.