the old-school guestbook archives
my amazon wish list... my favorite astrologer... my favorite artist... yerba mate revolution! erowid: a travel guide for interior journeys... no more war: MoveOn.org United for Peace and Justice True Majority seek the truth: Common Dreams Unamerican Activities The Nation people I adore, diaries I read: rev.raikes ariana cubiclegirl epiphany glitter333 laurakay wammo the music: the asylum street spankers backyard tire fire blue highway bill camplin wendy colonna freedom tribe joules graves guy forsyth band hamsa lila hanuman libby kirkpatrick leftover salmon pamela means medeski martin & wood the motet the nice outfit nickel creek open road rose polenzani railroad earth south austin jug band string cheese incident taarka tha musemeant the devil makes three tim o'brien band trolley wild sage keller williams yonder mountain string band |
sisters... ~ 2001-01-07 - 03:52:49 I am so tired... I babysat for my nephews last night, so that my sister could go out. she doesn't get the chance to do that much. she's a single mom, and has been for the past 8 years. lucas' dad was vaguely involved for the first year (he lives in oregon)-- but then he just dropped out of lucas' life. he doesn't even send christmas presents anymore-- and he owes them over $10,000 in child support, at a rate of only $125 a month. nicolas' dad has never even seen him, never wanted to. it's so hard for me to imagine bringing a child into this world and then just walking away. I have no doubt that my sister is better off without either of them, but it's been a long, hard road for her on her own. and I have to wonder what it does to my nephew's heads to know that their fathers have no interest in being a part of their lives. shannon, at any rate, is doing better now than she has been since lucas was born. they live in a nice little 3 bedroom house, and she's got a good job at the better business bureau-- she basically runs the place. they don't pay her what she's worth, but she's no longer living with the intense moneystress that dominated her life for so long. she was on welfare until lucas was 3, and the power was always getting cut off, and the phone, and there was never enough of anything. people who say that welfare mothers are lazy and don't want to get off it are talking out of their asses. there's nothing easy about living on welfare. shannon's a damn strong woman. there's a lot we don't agree on, but I don't know what I'd do without my sister. we hated each other when we were growing up, and didn't make friends until I was about 19, but we've gotten pretty tight over the years. each of us is really the only other one in the world who can understand what it was like to grow up in our family. my brother's experience of it was very different, I'm sure. he was at the top of the food chain. tonight I went to a potluck at heather's mom's house. heather's potlucks are somewhat legendary in our circle of friends. she has a knack for bringing us all together. her mother's house is cozy (if drafty), crowded full of hodgepodge antiques and mirrors and dried flowers and all kinds of fascinating objects. a bit like my dream-psyche house, but on a much smaller scale. her mother has painted trees and vines and flowers all over the walls. heather's mother, joan, is an amazing woman... mother of nine, heading into her seventies now still with a tremendous amount of energy and guts and creativity. she's outspoken and wild and loving and loves to dance. it's no wonder heather is such an amazing woman. heather and andre are heading back to vermont tomorrow. I'm missing them already, but I know I'll see them in the spring, if all goes according to plan. I hope to be there in time for the birth of their child. I am still in awe.
(((rings))) |