Burning Vapor

The Open Road

I was told last night to not purchase any gifts for Christmas if they were given in love.  I was told that love is not needed and if gifts are a reflection of love that I could keep them.  I was also told that all of ‘my’ family could also save their gifts if they are given in love.  There will no longer be any hugs or kisses because this family sucks.  Matter of fact, all families suck and life would be much better if it could be lived in solidarity.  Matter of fact, being homeless would be the best case scenario.  This conversation was held on the front porch.  I calmly listened to the rant and waited for a pause in breath to come.  It did.  I smiled and opened my hand to the road that led away from our home to the city.

Dad: There ya go.
Son: What?
Dad: Freedom.  Solidarity.  Independence.  No authority. <I drew in a deep breath>  Can you smell it?  It’s out there for the taking.  <I looked back at him> You just have to go out there and take it.
Son: What do you mean?
Dad: The road son.  It’s right there waiting for you.  All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and start your new life of independence on the road.  Man, what an adventure it’s going to be!
Son: What are you talking about?  I can’t live on the road??
Dad: <still smiling>  Sure you can.  I’m not going to chase you down.  You run much faster than I do.  The entire homeless population of Macon is ready to embrace you in their arms.  Think of it.  Sleeping in the woods, alleys or abandoned buildings, no more nasty school, no more calls to dinner time, no more cleaning up your comfortable room or straightening up your clean bathroom, no more having to put your bike away or having to haul that baseball glove around.  Just you, whatever you can find in the garbage cans, and the freedom of the open road.
Son:  Are you crazy?  I can’t choose to leave this family!
Dad: Oh!  Why is that?
Son: Because I’m just a boy.  And it’s cold and wet outside.  I don’t really have a choice.
Dad: Oh son, we all have choices.  You can choose to go back inside and stop acting like a baby or you can fulfill your dream of being homeless.  Your choice…
Son: <Angry and disgruntled>  I’m going to do my homework.
Dad: Well…if that’s your choice.  Love ya bud.
<he mumbled something incoherently – probably a ‘thanks for talking Dad, you’re the best’ type of a comment

We then had another 1 hour conversation in his bedroom about all the ways this family sucks.  It came out that he is just waiting for us to give him up because families do it all the time.  I told him that he needed to be angry at God because it was God who put him into a family that never quits.  By the end, he was laughing in the living room and watching Christmas cartoons with the family.  It’s day by day, choosing to love someone who desperately wants to believe in love, but believes it is all a lie.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 12:14 pm and is filed under Adoption, Family, Gospel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.