Guy Oliver Speaks

As I consider my son’s incarceration, I cannot escape the concept of forgiveness. The most liberal of my friends believe that crime cannot go unpunished and my most conservative friends embrace the concept of the ex-convict reintegrating with society. We all, it seems, believe that the law is necessary and has a purpose—but there seems to be equal agreement that once the debt is paid, forgiveness is in order. Continue reading →

A thing like prison invariably changes a man. For better or worse, he is different after the fact. Most leave these institutions determined to make a change but most also return to old patterns of behavior and we are, in part, culpable. Continue reading →

“Dad,

Thank you for your last letters and including excerpts from your blog. I honestly laughed till it hurt, at least for a moment. The way you described Rachel and Ashley’s weddings was eye opening. I never really thought of finding humor in a wedding; they always seem so somber.

And then it hit me, just how much I’m missing in this place. I’m so angry with myself. First my sisters’ weddings and now Rachel’s first pregnancy. It seems I’m missing all the important moments…”

The important moments. So many. Our first day of high school, first date, first kiss, the first time we make love, the birth of a child, your son’s college graduation, your daughter’s wedding day, the birth of a grandchild.

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