My Mother, my Father and Me

Like a lot of grown children, I have had an up and down ongoing relationship with my Mother and Father. This is a blog topic I have avoided for a couple different reasons...the main one being that it is a complex relationship as parent/children relationships can be. It is also a matter of privacy...their privacy that I am concerned about. My parents have made a conscious choice NOT to read this blog. It would just be too painful for them to relive some of this stuff all over again. There are things that I discuss in this blog that they are unaware of...like my being raped as a boy. I never told them then and just never did plus they never asked. They do know something happened to me but don't know what it is...

Obviously...both of my parents are still living. As a matter of fact I have an incredible relationship with both of them...which is truly amazing considering all the stuff I put them through over the years. What's even more incredible is that I rent rooms from them at the house here on the island so the part of the year that they are here I actually live with them. Funny because I left home at a fairly young age because my father and I couldn't stand each other and there was always the threat of trouble when we were together.


A year after I sobered up my father became critically ill, he was hospitalized with  very serious infection from a burst appendix. He stayed there for 40 days then spent another 6 weeks in a nursing home. It was during this time I re-build my relationship with my folks. We found that we got along really well and the decision was made at that time to have me sell my place in Holland and move here to the Lake.


I never would have guessed that this situation would work with the 3 of us living here together but it works really well. It allows them to stay here in their home even though they are getting too old to take care of it by themselves. I really think God had this in mind all along....


The picture above of my mother and I was taken four years ago when the three of us took a long weekends vacation from Englewood, Florida where they live in the Winter to Key West. Here I am about 18 months sober, spending 4 days in KEY WEST of all places with my mum and dad! What a freakin' trip that was...and it was a wonderful, amazing adventure and we have had quite a few of those since then. My presence gives them piece of mind and frankly my being here for them makes me feel better as well. i know whats going on and how they are doing. 


I was always pretty close to my parents...so this is a great set up for us and I imagine that I'll stick around the Coldwater area though I won't be able to live here forever...


In closing I have to laugh at the fact that at 49 years of age, the supeindependant person that I am is here living by his parents. Who woulda thunk it eh? Certainly not me...