Tag Archives: Simplify your life

“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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The measure of our redemption is found in how we, ourselves, take responsibility for the actions that are ours—but we don’t always stop to consider the actual meaning of the hackneyed comment

“I take full responsibility.”

Words cannot be measured unless they are accompanied by actions. By admitting your injury to others, you merely open the gateway to healing. Continue reading →

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.

I 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 →