{"id":930,"date":"2010-03-24T13:37:00","date_gmt":"2010-03-24T17:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/?p=930"},"modified":"2010-03-24T13:37:00","modified_gmt":"2010-03-24T17:37:00","slug":"the-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/?p=930","title":{"rendered":"The Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">I had a rough couple of days. &nbsp;Cramps from hell. &nbsp;I was swearing at Eve quite violently this morning. &nbsp;Sigh. &nbsp;Since my baby days are DONE&#8230; I am counting down the months\/years till menopause. &nbsp;\ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_ESvCH9ghcAI\/S6pb3NC6MSI\/AAAAAAAADKY\/poDrdecciAc\/s1600\/DSC_3455.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_ESvCH9ghcAI\/S6pb3NC6MSI\/AAAAAAAADKY\/poDrdecciAc\/s640\/DSC_3455.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Yesterday 3 strangers asked me if we would have more kids? &nbsp;People, my youngest is 5. &nbsp;No&#8230; we are done! &nbsp;Pick on someone else.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">I just got a letter from my dad today. &nbsp;Well, it may have been in there a bit longer, since I don&#8217;t check our mailbox every day. &nbsp;(Really, usually it is just bills, bills and more bills. &nbsp;It was a big envelope. &nbsp;Inside was his wishes when he dies. &nbsp;It was a bit weird. &nbsp;Yet at the same time, it was a bit of a relief. &nbsp;No fighting over who and what when that time comes.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">He wrote me a hand written letter, the writing was very shaky. &nbsp;Before I read it, just looking at it made me very sad. &nbsp;This is my dad. &nbsp;I wouldn&#8217;t be if it wasn&#8217;t for his part. &nbsp;It is weird when I put it that cut and dry.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">He wrote a lot of the usual. &nbsp;Then he wrote he loved me very much. &nbsp;He wrote, &#8220;Forgive me all the mistakes I have made.&#8221;<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Wow. &nbsp;I have waited forever and yet here are those words. &nbsp;Love you and forgive me. &nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">A part of me wants to cry, actually bawl my eyes out for all the pain and heart ache that has been over 4 decades and yet even longer. &nbsp;What made it so complicated and hard? &nbsp;Why? &nbsp;I have always said I knew my dad loved me. &nbsp;Yet, I always said actions speak louder than words. &nbsp;It is a rule that I try to live my life by. &nbsp;Don&#8217;t just say the words, show it so that there is never any doubt. &nbsp;Too many of my dad&#8217;s actions belied those words. &nbsp;Yet, today, I read them in black and white. &nbsp;Today, I really do believe the words that I stare at in that shaky handwriting. &nbsp;Today, right now, I wish I could climb on my dad&#8217;s lap, without reservation and have him hold me and sob like a baby. &nbsp;God, how much I love my dad. &nbsp;How much I wish he had a normal, safe presence in my life.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Tears are flowing as I type this simply because there has been so much pain and loss. &nbsp;There has been so much waste. &nbsp;I wish that my dad was the same all the time. &nbsp;I wish I could be safe with him. &nbsp;No, I am not scared of him physically anymore but I am emotionally. &nbsp;His instability causes me so much up and down emotions.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">It is a typical letter of his, though. &nbsp;There are other things that he writes. &nbsp;He always has said that he stayed away because of my mom. &nbsp;She wouldn&#8217;t be there if he was. &nbsp;There is always the factor of blame that is in his letters.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">As usual, contact with him leaves me confused.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Dear Jesus,<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">You know my thoughts and feelings even as I can&#8217;t make sense of them.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">My dad, I love him. &nbsp;Thank you for bring me into the world. &nbsp;Thank you for the traits that he blessed me with. &nbsp;Thank you for loving us so unconditionally. &nbsp;I know You love him so much. &nbsp;I know You see him as he was meant to be without sin. &nbsp;I can&#8217;t wait to meet that man in heaven. &nbsp;I pray that he is there. &nbsp;I pray that You wrap him with that peace that only You can give him. &nbsp;Comfort him. &nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">I am so glad that I have you, God, as my Father that I can count on.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">I love You!<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Amen<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I had a rough couple of days. &nbsp;Cramps from hell. &nbsp;I was swearing at Eve quite violently this morning. &nbsp;Sigh. &nbsp;Since my baby days are DONE&#8230; I am counting down the months\/years till menopause. &nbsp;\ud83d\ude42 Yesterday 3 strangers asked me &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/?p=930\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livinglovingbreathingboys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}