Respecting Family Ties

A note tonight is short and sweet

Today was long and so very lovely

Cherished time spent with 

 Grandson, Jon

  Sons, Jason and Jeff

   Grand-dogs, Eva and Percy

Music, reviewing family history 

Laughter, good food and good love.

“Family can help make family, but family often transcends blood.”

~ DaShanne Stokes

How Can I?

How can I respect?
Behaviour 
   Irrational or rude
      Annoying or mushy
        Aggressive or violent

When the child that was
    has been lost 
      in an emotional and chemical vortex.

Sweetness and love ~
  vanished as though never there.
    Addiction to alcohol or drugs a catalytic converter.

“Respect must be earned”
     An old adage learned at an adult’s knee

What if respect once earned 
     is torn and tattered,
        frayed and ragged

How can I respect?
    An individual heart and soul is not lost
        merely trapped 
          in need of peace, calm and kindness.

To see life reborn
   Baby steps being taken 
      Eyes shining again
Self-respect regained deserves anyone’s respect.

“I never meet a ragged boy in the street without feeling 

that I may owe him a salute, for I know not what 

possibilities may be buttoned up under his coat.”

~ James A. Garfield

Choices

Choices

“Regarding the invitation to your party on this Saturday evening, I will be unable to attend.”
Eileen had written and re-written this reply, never satisfied with how she had worded her denial of a party that would sure to be a lot of fun.
She had epilepsy; a late night and an early morning didn’t always go together - fun or no fun.
Potential for having a seizure was all too present when Eileen pushed the envelope too far and definitely was not respectful to her host - or herself for that matter.
Eventually, there would be a seizure, and a big one at that which really dampened a good time.
Choices about these minor details didn’t come up often, but often enough, making Eileen’s world narrow ~ but only about parties.
There was so much more to her life than missing one party, so she made her choice and mailed off the RSVP.

“It’s not our talents that make us safe or dangerous, it’s our choices.”

~ Josephine Angelini, Dreamless

Respecting Friendship

A late night - well late-ish.
Beautiful supper with Asian flavours and presentation.
A birthday for a friend who has returned from a trip.
All in the name of respecting friendship.

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”

~ Mark Twain

A Respectful Definition

Recognition
Ethical
Sensitive
Perspective
Earnest
Consideration
Truism

“Respect for ourselves guides our morals; 

respect for others guides our manners.”

~ Laurence Sterne

Keeping Silent

Sitting across from a
  A son or a daughter
    A mother or father
      A grandma or grandpa
Cousins, nieces or nephews

My curiosity is kept in check
  for all but medical details of
    alcohol misuse
       drug misuse

prescription, illicit or from the cabinet at home.

Sitting across I watch
  tears and exquisite sadness of life gone so very wrong
    the exhaustion of years buried in chemicals
      fear and nervousness about coming sickness
withdrawal from chemicals is the easy part of recovery.

“At the bottom of every person’s dependency, 

there is always pain. Discovering the pain and 

healing it is an essential step in ending dependency.”

~ Chris Prentiss, The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure