Tag Archives: parenting

The Maelstrom – Chapter 3.6

Photo_3.6It’s a hell of a thing, turning your back on your child. At some point you just stop lying to yourself and you think “He is going to end up in jail or dead”, and you hate yourself for the thought. Some part of you still clings to the optimism of his youth when he was still young and impressionable and you think “He’ll return. He’ll come back to his senses. He’ll see the folly of these life choices.” You fantasize about the day he’ll be himself again, free of the bad influences and the terrible choices, and then you finally turn within yourself and retort “No.”

Reluctantly, you accept the fact that your child is imprisoned in a hell you don’t understand, can’t imagine, and of which there is no breach point; you can effect no rescue. You finally understand that he is in a prison of his own making and that only he can fashion his escape. Continue reading

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The Maelstrom – Chapter 3.5

The redemption I witnessed in my son had many false starts. Not understanding addiction at the time, I was the victim of my own naiveté. I didn’t understand the nature of addiction at the time of Tim’s struggle and how it toys with the lives of others not directly captivated by its influence. We were all drawn by the current of its ebb and flow but only by virtue of our connection to Tim.

Photo_3.5I would see his attempts to break free and mistake the momentary liberation for freedom from the force that over and over drew him back. Retrospectively, I am reminded of the protracted labor of his mother during the time of his birth that ushered him into this world. Like my naiveté regarding his addiction, I knew nothing of the complications that can occur during a pregnancy and just how dangerous it can be for both mother and child. Continue reading

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The Maelstrom – Chapter 3.4

I’ve been told countless times since I began this project that I’ve taken on too much ownership of my son’s behavior and the eventual outcome of his life. That I somehow needlessly continue to blame myself for his life’s conclusion and the missteps along his way. I’ve been told over and over to lay this burden down.

Photo_3.4In all earnestness I am compelled to offer that this is the certain wisdom of friends and family from the outside looking in, and the wisdom is not lost on me. It is not merely well meaning; rather, it is well-founded. Advice that should be heeded.

The end having been realized, would’ves, could’ves, and should’ves no longer matter. The end is the same and no afterthought can change it. However, as an insider looking out I ask in equal earnest how do I lay down such a thing? Continue reading

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