Gordie, that war zone thing really was a good one. My H offers a lot of those things. When my S12 stopped going to school, he said I should stop trying to coerce him into doing anything and should let S12 "write his own destiny." I think he confused himself with our S and me with his own mother or maybe a variety of confusions all at once.

My MIL is visiting right now and it has actually been helpful for me to see how horribly he treats her a lot of the time, when he is cycling into madness. He is like a mean teenager to her though he is 51. (He is always this way to me, but it is surprising to see him be so rude to his mom.) I get a little embarrassed but she almost doesn't seem to notice how crazy it is. And it helps me to see that he is living deep in some teen nightmare, that it's not about me!

I do love your patience and clear mind, I am trying to follow suit with varying degrees of success.

I believe I will see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord with courage.
Be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.