Our eight-year old son was taking a shower. For some reason, I do not remember, I walked into the bathroom with a tone of voice that carried frustration and was directed at my favorite person in the world, our kind and sensitive little boy. My frustrated tone didn't have lots of volume, and to me, wasn't very scary. It was the kind of admonishing voice that so freely floats around relationships without much awareness.
As I stood there for a moment, expecting a verbal reaction, I heard the shower water stop. It had been turned off. Suddenly, the shower curtain was thrown open, and there stood my son, tears in his eyes, beginning to cry. He looked directly into my eyes and said, "I thought I cured you of all your anger."
I sat on the edge of the tub as he fell into my arms crying - crying tears of disappointment. I simply held him close and whispered, "I am learning." He looked up and smiled.
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Hi Bruce, I've been reading your blog one bit at a time and have got to this one. I really love your writings - in fact I'm reading Being Real at the moment and I've never enjoyed a book so much - even more than One Minute Nonsense. After I read Free the Children, I passed it to a friend and asked her to pass it on after she'd read it. Sorry about the loss in sales (though it might work out the other way) but I just couldn't bear to think of it just sitting on my bookshelf doing nothing. I wish everyone who worked with children could read it.
ReplyDeleteSo hope you, your son and partner are all well. Hope we get to meet again one day. I'm married now and I know my wife would love to meet you.
Take care,
Tim (UK)