Happy Father's Day!
From: Kids-Right (kidsrigh@hammer.thebook.com)
Date: Sun Jun 20 1999 - 18:33:17 EDT
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Dads,
>From everyone associated with Kids-Right, we would like to wish you
a VERY HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. Especially for those of you who have
"orders" which don't even allow you to have contact with your
children. Maybe your child's mother forgot the human decency
to help the children do a special Father's Day card for you. (The
keyword there is "forgot" -- not "doesn't have") ...... We
are all sorry. You can be sure the other people in this group
understand the feelings of pain and loss days like this can bring
-- and also the joy! The attached short story is for you.
For the members of Kids-Right, remember we are people of faith.
Seem strange? Visit the website again for the first time
(http://www.kids-right.org/). When we talk about following Gandhi
and Martin Luther King -- we are following people who had
tremendous personal faith. Like them we believe we can change the
system. Without violence, without vengeance, without hatred -- just
faith and love.
The following short story is passed on for your review -- it says it all.
=========================================
I was alone on the flight home after visiting my children. It was
late and it was going to be a long flight. A graying "senior" sat
down in the seat next to me. They seemed friendly enough, but I
really wasn't interested in talking.
My mind returned to that familiar rut: the last years seemed like a
nightmare. Betrayed and powerless through a bitter break up. Maybe
nuclear explosion would be more accurate! The worst part had been
my children. I watched in horror as my spouse and then the courts
seemed intent on taking them from me. I saw their tears. I felt
caught in a piece of farm machinery -- and couldn't get free. I
loved the kids, but I could only see them occasionally -- it was a
gnawing pain. At times I was so mad ... why those dirty $#%#$@!
"Pardon me .." the person next to me spoke. Stunned, I realized I
had mumbled those last few words out loud -- maybe I was a
certified nut case! "Sorry," I said, "just thinking out loud."
"I guess so," they said, and I could see a smile. Well, we got to
talking and it all just sort of came out: the anxiety, the pain,
the frustration, and worst of all -- not knowing what the future
would bring. You know the story. By the time I was done we had
landed! Toward the end I had mentioned it was hard to have faith.
"What is God thinking of?" I asked.
My friend took a long pause at that and I thought, "Oh, Oh -- I
should have known it, must be a minister or something -- now I am
going to get the conversion speech -- good thing the flight is
over!"
They chuckled a little and said, "Well, I'm sure God loves
you very much, and your children, and also your ex-spouse." I
swallowed a bit hard at that last one. "I'm sure God sees the real
goodness in all of you." Dropping their voice a bit, "I'm
sure God also has a long view of eternity which might be hard for
a living person to understand."
"I'm sure everything is going to be all right." They stopped.
Easy for you to say, I thought. It got quiet as we walked off the
jetway into the terminal. I felt I might have upset them. "Sorry,"
I said, and to make small talk, "gee, I didn't even ask your name."
"Who me? I guess you can call me God, the creator of heaven and
earth. Is there anything else you would like to ask?" Again, the
big smile.
Well, I don't know why, but I didn't doubt it. It was starting to
feel like an episode out of the 'Twilight Zone' -- come to think
of it, the Airline Captain had looked a bit like Rod Serling. Well,
here was my chance to ask. I thought about what they had said,
especially the last part, "...everything is going to be all right."
Finally I spoke up, "No, no questions at all. Thank you." I went
to shake their (Gods?) hand. I got caught up in a big bear hug.
"That's great," they said. "I'll be seeing you..."
Yes, I thought, probably so. It was a nice feeling.
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