"Not Everybody Lies"

Justin called me and told me about what happened with her son. Ironically, we (Johnathon and I) had been there at Dad's just moments before her son arrived. We passed him on the road and didn't know that Justin wasn't far behind. Of course, we had no clue what was happening. Johnathon said that she popped an attitude with him when he got there but Dad told her to go in the house. It was a blessing that we had left. If we had been there when they got in Justin's face, Johnathon or I would have probably ended up in jail.

I just don't get how any parent can let their child be treated that way, at any age.

A short time after, I actually ran into the uncle who asked her son to get his cows off his property. They were leaving a restaurant as we were walking in. He told me some of the awful things the son said that Justin and I never did anything for our dad, and we were just in it for the money (there is no money).

Among a whole slew of other heinous statements, my uncle said that her son wouldn't let him get a word in edge-wise. He interrupted him at every chance he could, which caused a lot of the trouble in the first place.

He threatened my brother to his face and in front of my uncle.

I don't understand how Dad wasn't more upset than he was about the whole thing.

Dad and I haven't spoken a word about what happened. I have avoided it. But Dad now says things like, "This is all my fault." He still holds them at no fault.

As Christmas approached, Dad and I were texting - which was real short and not conversational.

We had planned on having his family's Christmas at my house. It had been planned for a while. One day Dad texted me and said "I was told (uncle's name) don't want me around him or his family so I'm up in the air about Christmas."

I asked him who told him that, of course the answer was .... her son. I told him to let me ask questions before he assumed anything. I got on the phone right then with my uncle and asked and he said he was totally fine with Dad being there. So, as Dad was still texting, I was on the phone. I confirmed that it wasn't going to be a problem.

Dad went on about how he "made this choice, and I have to live with it whether I'm right or wrong." I was pretty proud of myself because I held my tongue.

I told him it would be fine and to not believe everything he was being told all the time to which he responded, "not everybody lies but if that's what you think" In my head was one of those silent screams. Of course, not everybody lies!!!! Just the ones you choose to live with and be around!!!!

I proved a lie right there to his face in a matter of seconds, and he still couldn't see it!

And with all the awkwardness and tension, we still had to do kids Christmas concerts and things, and Justin and I, as always, swallowed all the emotions and things necessary and invited him to everything and even to dinner afterward. Just trying to be as normal as it could be.

Some moments in there were wonderful. I remember tearing up one night after we left the Dairy Queen because I had truly enjoyed his company and conversation. I told Johnathon that is why I still fight. That man that showed up at that moment was the man I knew. A brief reminder of what normal actually looked like. It was nice.

Whatever it takes..... ugh....get us off this rollercoaster.