Dear Ferret Folks- I have a six year old nephew whom I love more than my own life. I write of him often here, little Alexander. He is having a hell of a time. Due to a very *bad* domestic situation, my sister has thrown Alexander's father out forever, is getting a divorce. This is entirely appropriate, and a relief to everyone who knows the facts of the situation. Still, it is a tragedy from the child's point of view, compounded by the fact that Alex knows full well that his father is homeless, and living in his car. Somewhere. Like most consistently "funny" people, I am "funny" because I have been dealt some pretty hard knocks in life. I turn to humor because the big picture is just too unhappy to look at in any other way. It's laugh at it all or go mad. I've gone mad a few times. It's not all it's cracked up to be, trust me. Crazy is hard work. I know what hard is. And I think one of hardest things I have ever been handed in this life was the moment that Alex's Dad let slip that he was homeless in front of the child during a supervised visit, and was living in a car. (My sister reasonably has a restraining order, I supervise the father/son visits.) Alex took it all in, he thought about it a few moments and he looked up at me and asked in a small, soft serious voice that sounded so wrong in a small childs mouth "Aunt? Can my Daddy stay with you and Uncle in the ferret room?" The ferret room has a sleeper sofa that is Alex's bed on sleep over nights here. I had to look into those blue eyes, brimming with unshed tears and say "No, hon. That's not going to be possible." Six year olds should not have to deal with this kind of thing. Oh, it gets worse. Alexander has ADHD and his school is trying to chuck him out and send him to another school with a different Special Ed program against our families will. The school admits that the kid is not rude, profane, argumentative, violent, or destructive. But they don't want to deal with him, or any *other* child with special needs. We are working with a lawyer, and we *are* going to win, but some ASS*OLE school official let slip that Alex was being booted to the other school in front of at least one student, who went and told all the other kids. Alexander is now being taunted about being "sent to Juvvie" and the other school. Most of the school officials are appropriately horrified by this, but the damage has been done. Alexander is *terrified*, and does not want to leave his school and his friends. So. He's six. His family has been shattered, his father has lost his mind (I'm not kidding, he's in and out of psychiatric hospitals when he is not living in his car) and he knows that he is in danger of being bussed many miles away to a strange school for being somehow defective. Look at this from a six year old's point of view. It's da*ned bleak. And all this has just happened in the last two months. If you have a moment, I have a favor to ask. Easter is the first big holiday since Dad got thrown out of the house. Alexander is terribly excited about Easter, but the kid is dragging. He's been through hell, and from a child's perspective, nothing is ever going to be OK again. If you could, would you please consider dropping him an Easter card or a little note? He is a lifelong friend to ferrets, and right now he really needs some TLC. I'd really appreciate it. He is trying so hard to hold it all together, and he's just a little kid who still believes in the Bunny. My heartfelt thanks if anybody could take the time out to make it a special day, the way it should be. Basket. Plastic grass. Jelly beans. And maybe for a little while, not Social Workers, School Psychologists, and the occasional supervised visit with a broken and inadequate father. Alexander Hale 23 Esty Rd. Princeton MA 01541 Thank you Alexandra in MA [Posted in FML 6652]