Dear Ferret Folks-
Thank you so very much for the cards and small gifts that you sent my
nephew, Alexander, to help lift him up through his first post-divorce
Christmas. His mother said that he would read your words about life
after divorce thoughtfully, as though each missive were a piece of
fruit to be peeled and considered at leisure. He can be very
close-mouthed when something is important to him, but the words you
sent got him talking more with his mother and with his therapist about
how he feels and that is a very good thing.
His Christmas was lovely and it was terrible by turns. I *thought* he
was surprisingly good at the Colburn family Christmas party. Generally
he finds quiet, sly ways to load up on sugar and that never have a good
outcome. Everyone knows about the problem, but he is good at working a
crowd for cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc. He is blond and blue eyed
and understands the power of cute.
The next day he told his mother that "everything hurt", whimpered, and
actually asked to go see the doctor. Generally he avoids the doctor's
office as if it were radioactive so we knew there was a big problem.
One chest x-ray later and a whole bunch of poking and prodding and
culturing and the result came in--the kid had strep. As in, a fever of
103.6 strep. He missed almost a whole week of school. Alex spent that
week very quietly for him. He read his books, (his idea of a fabulous
time is a trip to a bookstore) watched a lot of documentaries on TV. I
am told he also watched "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" until
something in his mother's skull threatened to hemorrhage.
We ended the year by formally kicking 2010 to the curb. We had a family
New Year's Eve party. Imagine me in a conical paper hat. It happened.
Even my mother wore a paper hat. (I should have taken a picture.) We
watched "Fiend Without a Face" in black and white featuring 1950's
special effects with crawling rubber human brains that bled jelly
when shot. Alex went to bed tennish. I woke everyone (I had folks in
sleeping bags in the living room) at a quarter to twelve and there were
those curly blower things that squawked, more paper hats with glitter
on them, fake champagne, explosive "crackers" and bubbles to blow. We
watched the ball drop in Times Square.
And that crappy year? *All.* *gone.* All done. We HEAVED it into the
dustbin of history, and we're starting fresh all together as a family.
The fact that Alex had strep delayed the sending out of thank-you
notes to the people who sent Alex cards and gifts. I *think* we have
everyone's address except Sukie's and one lady who sent a card of a
little penguin holding a candy cane, marching up a hill. That sender's
envelope was misplaced, and the card was signed with a name that looks
like "Jean" or "Jane." We hope that the two of you will send snail mail
addys so that we may thank you properly!
And I thank you, too. You have no idea how hard we have had to fight to
place and keep a circle of serenity and safety around this child this
year. (I speak of 2010.) Between the divorce and the school trying to
toss him out for having ADD (or is it ADHD? I can never remember) it
was just so hard, such a battle. I never, ever, want to see a year like
2010 again. Now, god willing, we can do the heavy lifting of healing.
Thank you so much
Alexandra in MA
[Posted in FML 6931]
|
