Recently, working with my eldest son, I find myself
telling my side of past events. Not defending, but
a, (as I remember) version of what occurred.
Of course, what I remember is not a candy coated
version. I remember being a frightened 18 yr old kid.
Trying to raise a small 15 mo old boy and the legal stuff
that ensued at that time. I often wonder how different
our lives might have been, had we grown up together.
Would the separation anxiety be gone that I felt.
Would the new found friendship be something erased
by a teen years rebellion. And the difficult separation of going to college,
or in this case going to war, although I did see him off to Bagdad.
It is what it is 2 grown men trying to assemble some kind of relationship,
each of us not wanting to re injure the other with mistakes of the past.
Thank God for 2nd chances. And for not letting my son die in Bagdad.
I appreciate the second chance.
I, too, am grateful for our second chances with my oldest grandson.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you two are forging a new bond; talking about the past openly without blaming.
Maybe it helps that he is going through with his son almost exactly the same as you went through with him.