Lincoln had a good relationship with his mother before she died. He also adored his stepmother, referring to her as his best friend. She understood his love of reading and helped him acquire materials to read. However, Lincoln had a poor relationship with his father, Thomas. His father believed that Abraham was lazy with his chores and could not understand why his son preferred to read rather than work splitting logs or other farm work. Some have said that his father even physically abused him. It is telling that when his father died, Abraham Lincoln did not attend the funeral.