update

[bitterfig]

Since Easter I’ve been pretty busy between work, family, medical appointments and a story I’ve been working on for lgbtfest.

My Dad was in town from New York State for a five day visit. I was working most of the time but managed to get over to my sister’s place to see him everyday. Also yesterday I had off so I showed him around my neighborhood,

Comments

[lawless523]

I'm glad you had a good visit with your dad and that he's becoming more flexible in his old age. I wish him the best in selling some of your grandmother's antiques. My stepmother does estate sales and the like and it can be a hairy situation.

[bitterfig]

Thanks. I hadn't really realized how much my grandmother was selling until I looked at the listing on the auction house's website last night-- it's over 300 lots. It must have been a massive task organizing it all. Luckily my father has put together estate sales before and even worked with the auctioneer but still, a huge job not even taking into account all the extra family fun he got to deal with.

[rosehiptea]

I know what you mean about faith. I'm so used to approaching everything from an Orthodox (Jewish) viewpoint that it's difficult for me to consider other paths, and I feel guilty a lot.

I'm glad you had a nice visit with your dad.

[bitterfig]

Thanks. I guess it's hard not to accept the version of spirituality (or anything) you're given by figures of authority in favor of your own interpretation. I know my own views never seem quite as substantial or solid as those of my parents or the "official" church line (which of course varies radically from church to church, pastor to pastor).

[bitterfig]

My father has really changed enormously over the past few years. I think becoming a grandfather had a lot to do with it, that softened him up enough that he could be more receptive to revising his very strict religious vision ("there can be only sin or abstinence" used to be his mantra. He didn't mean just sexual abstinence either, he meant abstinence in all things. I do feel like that sort of thinking really contributed to the sort of either/or mentality that plagues me to this day.) Over all, I'm really proud of my father and his progress and wish I was ready to let go of some of my negative/destructive ways of thinking. I will be posting more on faith soon, my mother sent me an Easter email that I've been doing a lot of thinking on.