To my son Tommy,
Your Grandpa Leo used tell me stories about diving underwater. He would tell me that when deep under water, things could go terribly wrong. When things went terribly wrong, after the initial panic, there is a moment of resolve that this is it. This is the final act. A calm comes over you there alone and you think it best to give up and accept your fate. That is when you have to dig deep and find the will to survive. You find you must fight. You find you must wage a battle for your life. And how do you do that? You simply breath. Blow out a bubble, a simple air bubble, and follow it to the top.
Your grandpa knew I wasn't a diver, but he told the story anyway. He often talked in metaphor and parable, most of which I still have yet to decipher. But this story rings true when you think about it in terms of life.
Life will beat you up. You will feel like your drowning. You will feel all alone. You will feel like giving up. Hell, there will be moments when you actually join in in the form of a self destructive downward spiral. I should know. You think, "Nowhere to go but down, might as well not waste time getting there."
Fight. Resist. Fight back tooth and nail. Don't give up. Find a way. Wage war! Wage it everyday of your life and fight!
But choose your weapons wisely. Choose kindness; Choose love; Choose compassion; Choose laughter; Choose prayer. These are not the easy weapons to use. Getting mean, getting angry, getting tough, those seem like the most obvious and quickest ways to stop your descent. They work, but at a cost. They are not the bubble. They are not the weapons that are going to lead you up and truly save you.
You know what else Grandpa Leo said in that story. He said when you get to the top, when you get that one gasp of air, make it a big one because a wave may come right away and knock you back down again and you are going to have to do it all over again. And you must do it all over again, as many times as it takes.
As for your war that you wage, the weapons you chose the other day were a couple of couch pillows, and furry friend, and a framed picture of your Nana Jeanne. Not bad choices. A formidable defense indeed. As for me, I need to find my weapons again and use them wisely. For the time being, maybe I can use your fort. Because you my son, are most likely the bubble I need to follow.
Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo
