Well here is an interesting story. When I was ten or so my Mom went into rehab for alcoholism after a long stint in the hospital getting a liver shunt and almost dying. One of the jokes I used to hear at AA meetings with my Mom was when she went into rehab everyone wanted to meet her and talk to her....as happens in rehab I guess. She stayed in her room for a few days. Once she came out, I guess everyone wished she would have stayed in her room....she was apparently real pleasant. I was ten and basically shielded from any ugliness, which was good.
So Mom met Dave while in rehab. Dave was a counselor there, and I know he helped her a great deal. A relationship ensued and he became my Step Dad at probably the worst possible time for him. For me, looking back, I hit the jackpot. I was pretty pissed at my Mom for a lot of things. I was living with my Dad when Mom and Dave got together. At some point my Dad and I were butting heads enough that we needed a break. As I have explained in another post, my Mom and Dad had the genius idea (seriously the best thing they ever did) to let me stay in the house I was raised in, Dad would move out and Mom and Dave would move in. At this point I was 13 and angry. Not a good combo.
Dave was wonderful to me, no matter how rotten I was. He never tried to push discipline on me, never tried to boss me around and was always the voice of reason when my Mom and I were going at it with each other. Of course I would not have said this when I was 13!!
Dave got really pissed at me once, just once. I was a pig in my room, but once every so often I would go on a cleaning spree and really get organized. Dave wasn't a pig by any means, but he did hang onto stuff. Around his chair was piles of magazines, articles, information, books, etc. One day I was feeling particularly organized so I "cleaned" around his chair. Yeah, that didn't go over well. He didn't like it a bit! Funny thing, when I lived my my Dad we had a maid and the first time she came she tossed out two trashbags of stuff from my room and I flipped and went through every bit of it....so it's not like I should have known. Oh well, besides that he was never mad at me, that I knew of, so I can't complain.
27 years later Dave lives in Florida and I still send him nasty birthday cards about how old he is. When he gets really old I guess I will have to stop that....and I turned 40 this last year. He had 30 years of revenge due to him....I have to say he was nicer than I thought.
So today is his birthday and I was only able to leave a message for him. So, Pop, I love you very much, happy birthday. Thanks for putting up with far more than you should have and I know you know what I mean. You have been a wonderful Step Dad and role model and I am grateful that you are in my life. Love you!
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