That brings tears to my eyes! my sister Amy is the same way.  She has
two girls, what must it do to a child to see their Mom walk away!
I know what it does!
I am ever more greatful for God's love, but how do you explain that to
little ones?
Rhonda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 12:03 AM
Subject: How Life Has Changed


> I know I am getting old, I mean, older, but regardless, things have
> certainly changed.  The only people I knew growing up with tattoos
were
> those men who had been in World War Two.  We only had one couple in
the
> neighborhood who was divorced and nobody talked about it either.
There were
> a couple of people in our neighborhood who smoked cigarettes but that
was
> all.  I can remember one or two times our parents went some place and
hired
> a baby sitter to watch my sister and I at home.  Otherwise, we always
went
> with our parents no matter where they went.  My father did not believe
in
> eating in a restaurant on Sundays and we never did nor was I allowed
to play
> on Sundays with any of my friends except rarely.  So, I pretty much
lived a
> sheltered life I guess.  When Sandy and I married, we didn't have the
same
> Sunday rules for our children and we ate out often.  However, I can
only
> think of two times we allowed others to watch our children while we
went
> some place without them and both times were disasters.  Otherwise, if
where
> we were going, our kids couldn't come along, we simply did not go.
Some
> time ago, a friend of mine, a very close friend of mine, was lecturing
Sandy
> and I on how to raise our children.  The kids were young but Gretchen
began
> giving us trouble when she was very young and it got progressively
worse as
> she grew older.  this friend of mind was divorced and had three
children.
> He helped his X wife out financially but she made better money than he
did.
> He kept in touch with his kids and always tried to pick them up for
church
> on Sunday.  During his lecture on how we should be better parents, I
calmly
> pointed out to him that he was really a part time parent because his
kids
> lived with their mom.  He, on the other hand, came and went as he
pleased.
> He admitted he had never looked at it that way and that I was right.
I
> wasn't criticizing him, you understand, but I was pointing out that we
lived
> with our children 24 seven, as they say, and it was different.  He
agreed.
> I have been thinking of this recently because of our daughter.  She
shows up
> for an hour or two each day and normally calls once a day to talk to
her
> kids.  Otherwise, that's it.  Today she left, after not much more than
an
> hour being with her 4 year old, and walked to the bus stop which is
almost
> in front of our house.  Little Taylor ran to the door and told me he
wanted
> to tell his mom something so I let him.  He opened the door and pushed
open
> the storm glass door and called out for his mom.  She answered him and
he
> said, "I love you."  I almost began crying.  His voice was sad because
his
> mom was leaving him.  I played with him and wrestled with him for
awhile
> after she left but playing with your grandpa isn't the same as your
mom
> being home.  I thank God that every time I came home from school,
regardless
> of the time of day, my mom was always there.  I can never remember a
time
> she wasn't at home when I walked into the house.  I don't care how
poor you
> are or how little you have, if you have children, they want you more
than
> anything else.  I was also thinking recently of gifts because of the
season.
> The best gift my father ever gave me was a wooden airplane he cut on
the
> table saw and nailed together all in about two minutes.  I loved that
plane
> and played with it until I wore it out.  I have told my daughter she
is less
> than a part time parent now but the drugs and alcohol have already
deadened
> her reasoning ability.  Today, when her son called out to her and told
her
> he loved her, if it had been me, my heart would of melted and I would
have
> come back into the house and promised God and the president and the
governor
> and the mayor and anybody else I could think of that my kids were
going to
> come first no matter what.  My daughter needs a lot of prayer because
her
> drugs and alcohol and friends have become more important to her than
her own
> boys.
>
> Phil.