Family

Due to some recent events going on in my life and what Billy D wrote on his blog today, I have been feeling a little morose over what I did not have while growing up. I did not have the luxury of a loving home. Both my father and stepmother are alcoholics. My Dad could drink beer all day without seeming drunk but could become mean when he hit the hard stuff. My stepmother was hardly ever without a drink in hand, either wine or the vodka gimlet. She also was a bad drunk. To top that off I was the least of three sons. At least that was until my twin brother started dating his future wife. I still had to contend with the little brother who was named after my dad. How is that for a kicker my father's youngest son was named after him. Like he never thought that would cause some problems. Do not get me wrong I love my little brother, I never held our fathers treatment of us against him. It was not his fault. Besides he was a great kid. I was just the sickly one who was left alone for the most part. I never was abused or anything, I was just left to my own devices most of the time.

Most children left like that would have turned out to be hellions. My twin did to some point rebel against my parents. Not me, I was the quiet one who would as soon make peace than start a fight. The advent of my little brother just made me more invisible. It seemed the only time I got noticed was when I went along with another one of my brother's schemes. Also my parent's alcoholism made me swear to never touch a drop of alcohol in my life. That and the hangover form the margaritas from the margarita machine my father had set up on the back of the truck during a block party one labor day.

The turning point in my life came when my atheist / agnostic parents put my brother and I in private school at the age of 14. You see this was a Christian school. I did not accept the Messiah right away, as a mater of fact that took a total of 8 years. (That is another story for another time)

Now I will have to tell you I am feeling better now as I write this out because my life has changed. Am I perfect? Far from it, but I do know who my Lord is, and I know that I have a wife and 4 children who love me. That is ultimately all that matters.