MLC W, Part 8

[Rita]

I took a look at your post since I was back on tonight. I am really happy to read your To Do list. Service is the best way to lose yourself and thus find yourself. I even find that when I walk out of my class (I teach a class at a college), I have this strange sense of feeling free, and then I realize that it's because, for 1.5 hours, I was totally focused on the students and our class and never once thought about my situation or my sorrows. And that everyone in my class just saw me as me and not as anything to do with my sorrows.

I was having so much trouble with my son too. I still do, sometimes. I try to keep remembering that the ones who need love the most make themselves the most difficult to love. We can't expect much different, but try to think about it the way you think about when he's sick. You can't take away the flu, but you can be such a wonderful calming presence while he's sick. You can make him soup and rub his head and sit nearby reading, and he will always remember that sickness with joy later precisely because you were there for him when life was hard. I'm sure he'll feel that way too about the way you've been such a good father to him during this crisis. Maybe all your love will help him process all his pain that much better and break the cycle of MLC for his generation! It's a tragedy but that's the silver lining.

Would your son let you read to him before bed? Mine loves The Chronicles of Prydain and of course the Chronicles of Narnia, and I found that both of those helped him to put his mind toward being strong and brave and loving goodness, that has helped a lot. Now we are reading Treasure Island. My daughter always falls asleep when I read to him and then we look at her snoring and feel happy!

Check out rejoice ministries if you are wanting a church influence, I could not get through this without those daily e-mails.