Working with my local literacy partner Children’s Reading Connection (), this campaign has grown to include schools, libraries and booksellers, who have donated scores of books to families that might not have access to them. The most important part is what happens next: Family members reading together. The idea to put books on beds at Christmastime originally came from historian David McCullough, who recounted the Christmas mornings of his youth, when the very first thing he woke up to was a wrapped book at the base of his bed, left there by Santa. In our household, we went without some things that other families had, but we always had books in abundance. Your only job here is to find a way around your own fears, and to relieve yourself of the burden to judge this family – and instead to love all of them, just as they are.ĭear Readers: Every year at Christmastime, I ask readers to put “A Book on Every Bed.” I do so in memory of my mother, Jane, whose weekly trips to our town’s library always yielded armloads of books. This family is receiving professional support (another very wise choice). (I wish I’d had an ounce of that kind of courage at his age.)įurthermore, his father is his ally! Give yourself credit for raising a man who is a good parent. But that sullen teenager left his bedroom, got dolled-up, and took himself to the prom! You might not understand why your grandson would make the choice to go to the prom wearing what sounds like an amazing outfit. But the role of a grandparent is actually so simple: All you have to do is to love your grandchildren – exactly as they are, exactly as they present to you through phases, representations, or revelations – and through whatever joys or challenges they encounter.Ĭan you imagine the impact on this family if you just simply loved and accepted all of them, no matter what? They are receiving counseling individually and as a family.Ĭan I do anything other than cry myself to sleep?Ĭould this be a phase, or will he always be like this? – Devastated Grandmaĭear Devastated: I have a blunt question for you: Are you going through a phase, or will you always be like this? His maternal grandfather committed suicide last year, so I am concerned about the mental health of the entire family. He spends most of his time alone in his room and is very sullen. I don’t want to alienate my son or grandson, but the prospect of having a LGBTQ grandson makes me sick. But there are people out there who don’t like this “in your face” behavior. My son became very defensive and said that people can love who they want, and that society needs to get used to it. I privately told my son (his father) that I was concerned for my grandson’s safety, as he would be a target if he is so flamboyant. The older grandson, age 17, appeared at his prom wearing a full-length purple gown with nail polish to match. She is tearing me apart.įortunately, Amy didn’t keep her stupid comments in her pocket: She told Devastated to cancel the wedding, break up with his future wife, and “ eek the support of close friends, family, and a professional counselor to help you deal with this loss and change.Dear Amy: I have one son and two grandsons. I love her so much, she is my everything, and I don’t know that I could go on without her. I just can’t believe she would do this to me. We still always find time to make love, so I don’t know why she would go out seeking it from someone else. She did just find out that her mother has breast cancer, and that might be playing a role in her behavior. I’m not sure why she has been acting like this lately. To make things even more stressful is the fact that she recently told a couple of people that I hit her, but it’s not true. I feel like I have to record everything in my own house just to learn the truth. When I confronted her, all that she said was that she couldn’t talk right now. I recently overheard her talking to her friend about how she was unfaithful to me. After all, it seems like she’s the expert, right?ĭear Amy: I have a serious problem with my future wife. What would you do if everybody betrayed you and you were fed up with this world? If you’re one devoted fan of The Room, you would write to Amy Dickinson’s syndicated advice column in the persona of Tommy Wiseau’s Johnny, looking for answers about how to deal with his cheating girlfriend.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |