Healing comes in many forms and today it came through words from an old family friend. He was very close with my parents and the night my mother died, he was there at my fathers request. My father so distraught, could not speak to anyone and asked Barry to come see him. He requested his presence to identify my mothers body. It was something that he never forgot and I never knew. I only knew my father as a hateful, mean and nasty man. One that hurt me physically and emotionally time and time again, until I left home. And nearly 36 years later, he still hurts me by not letting me into his world. I have forgiven him long ago and still to this day long to see him. He lives across the country, far away from all his family, in his own pain. He never got over my mother, instead he turned bitter and I became the thing he hated most. But today my heart was so heavy from hearing the story, that I had nothing but LOVE for this man. He is after all my father. What we chose to take away from sorrows is up to us. We can become stronger, or we can become bitter, lonely and angry. I choose strength, love and joy. It has taken years to achieve this, but it has been so worth it. If I could pass any wisdom to my children it would be to forgive, always~