Parallel Worlds
When my children were small, my wife and I sang to them the typical children’s songs including Row, Row, Row Your Boat. You remember the lyrics–Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. Also during this period we had the habit of helping our […]
Invented Identities
When my children were born they planted in me seeds of hope that sprouted into full-blown dreams. I dreamed of intimate family moments, of a family legacy, of future mature father/son relationships, of grandchildren to bring joy to our home, and more. Those unspoken dreams embedded themselves into my relationships with my children. They affected how I […]
Muted Voices
I had a mother stop me the other day to tell me she heard me speak at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy’s Fall Legislative Forum. My task at that forum was to share my family’s story. More specifically, I was to talk about the difficulties and pain of raising an emotionally disturbed child […]
Speaking Love
Matt, my younger son, is out of town this week on a mission trip to Mexico. I talked to him on the phone this evening and he told me about finishing their project which was to build a new home for a needy family. They dedicated the home this afternoon. I am proud of Matt–the […]
Tension
The parents and caregivers of children dealing with emotional and behavioral health issues often live in a prison of negative emotions. I know. I’m one. We experience anger–sometimes at our child for what he or she is doing to us, sometimes at others who don’t understand and blame us for our children’s behavior, sometimes […]
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