Little Boy Blue and the Man on the Moon

First of all I will apologize for being Mr. Whiney Butt. For some strange reason I feel the most motivated to write when sad times abound. You all know that at 70 we start to think about things in a different light than when we were younger. I guess this is a natural progression of the human mind as we age. I am one of the fortunate ones who are blessed with health. I feel like 40 at 70. God has been good to me.

Sometimes I am not sure if it is a fair trade for the miseries I continue to be faced with. As you all probably know my wife has a broken back. She continues to try to work around the house but stays in pain because of the old injury. Our 16 year old son, Little David, is still having lots of trouble with his Spinal Muscular Atrophy. On top of the physical issues, he has hormones like any other teen. Because of this he is feeling very depressed because he feels no one will ever want or love him. This is wrong because he is charming, very intellligent, and most agree quite handsome. Sooner or later some smart young lady will notice him despite of his disability and fall madly in love with him. I can't wait to see the sparkle she will bring to his eyes. I can repeat this upbeat message until I am blue in the face but he won't believe me until it happens. I wish he would so he would feel better about his plight in life.

Little David is the polar opposite to my oldest (above). I could read that book "When Parents Hurt" a hundred times and still never understand this guy. I won't mention his name since he is a professional and I wouldn't want to justify his hatred of me by my causing him or his family any harm.

If you are a parent who doesn't get along with one or more of your children you surely know how painfully depressing it is and how helpless it makes you feel. Big boys don't cry. Sometimes I just go for a walk and think about something more pleasant like when my puppy got hit by a car.

I get along famously with my other children and step-children and I thank God for that. I moved across the country to be close to my sons here in Phoenix, leaving a great job in L.A. so as to have my family together. I had custody of my 10 year old daughter and thought it was best for them to all be together. Still I had to listen to "Little boy blue and the man on the moon" every time he became annoyed at me which was most of the time. (Boy, I am really on a whine today) The other son and my daughter (my 3 biologicals) grew up to be respectful, grateful, and extremely well adjusted.

Fortunately I get along famously with my other children and step-children and I thank God for that. Still that one keeps me awake at night wondering what happened and why him.

My mother passed March 13th and it has taken all of this time to try to get the whole family and her living friends together for a memorial. The thorn in my side now says he was not notified and wants the whole group to change schedule for his convenience. Gee, we'll miss him and his family.