My little brother left on an LDS mission in November. I must admit I felt some relief at his departure because I had hoped that would mean that the drama with his father would at least decrease in his absence. Unfortunately that has been far from the case. My heart aches at what his father is putting him through in an already difficult situation. After seeing some of the things he has been saying since leaving on his mission I am appalled at the pure selfishness emanating in each letter.
Coming from a divorced family there are so many difficult things that children have to face, things that often don’t surface until years later. Bryan is coming to realize that, even as he is away on a mission. Something as silly as finding the time to write two letters home instead of one. He has to double the work in order to let them know what is going on, which is difficult when so much of your day is scheduled for you.
As a single parent I never want my Logan to feel torn the way my little brother has. I want him to know that I will always love him. I never want him to feel like his father and I are competing for his love. I cherish our relationship and don’t feel threatened by the fact that he has one with his father too. I want him to have two parents that love him unconditionally. Our love is not dependent on anything from him. He has nothing to prove to either one of us.
I pray that my little brother is able to come to terms with his own situation as a child of divorce. It has been over fifteen years since his parents divorced. None of us would have dreamed the drama would still be just as present as it was all those years ago. We are all starting to wonder if it will ever truly end.