Random thoughts on a gut punch of a Monday morning.

•  In your charity could you please pray for my oldest male cousin? He had an aneurysm yesterday and was taken off the ventilator today. He was only 57.
  
  
  
  
• I was reading a rant about Parental Alienation a few days ago and sighed.  It reminded me of another man who was a talented writer and who was quite frank and unapologetic about his wild days back in the 70s and early 80s. He changed his life and overcame his addictions but did so too late. He blamed his divorced wife for turning their daughter against him to point where she refused any contact with him. What many Boomers forget is that bad episode in their lives --that hiccup in an otherwise okay life happened during their child's formative years. Your episode was their life. You being the bad guy or gal is the shadow over their childhood and no, despite what you were told by the experts, childhood resilience doesn't mean forgetting.  Your ex may have manipulated the situation and caused every fight but your adult child remembers standing in the door way while you screamed and cursed and perhaps even got physical in your anger.
  
  There are wicked parents who use their children as weapons against their ex but if you gave your child a river of sad memories when they were young then you can't expect them to want your company now that you are old.
  
  
  
  
• World Youth Day has been a cringe worthy occasion probably going back to 1986. These mega Masses and goofy 1970s antics that are supposed to appeal to the young  have to stop. Sacrilege at WYD is so common that people now accuse the pious who are shocked of "pearl clutching," and the sophisticated folks claim it's no big deal. Bishop Strickland pointed something out that actually gave me a  little hope.  If the bishop is correct and this was the lowest attended WYD since 1986, then perhaps parents are wising up.
  
  
  
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