family messiness

It was a simple mission: take Big buddy and son to the store. It was tortuous and made me want to weep. The son is cooking, but the dad holds the purse strings. Previous outings (pre-son) were arduous, but joyful. Big Buddy loved to get food and prepare it. He would take out tons of cash (for groceries and to live off of) and you could tell he felt like a new man. With son present, Big Buddy acts like a scrooge. He took out 1/4 of the money he usually gets (not enough for 2 men to eat from), squabbled over anything his son so much as glanced at, refused to buy the food he wanted which the son was not going to eat, loaded up on candy and overspent his measly cash withdrawal. His son purchased $10 of his own food so that he could eat something and enjoy it without any comments from his dad. Big Buddy and I started to get into it right in the store. He was complaining about the rice his son was buying (because it was not his kind of rice). He thinks his son is just mooching off of him, meanwhile his son is expected to live with him 24-7 so that Big Buddy won't have to go to a nursing home. For this constant care, Big Buddy gives him nothing but complaints, and rude comments about money. He says his son doesn't know Jesus and yet his son is the one who literally laid down his life in Houston, to come care for the man who did not raise him and is spat upon verbally and emotionally by the one who calls himself a follower of the Lover. I know none of us are perfect, but the root of the matter stems from the difficult places they hold: of father and son. Until some of their past, unresolved issues are dealt with, they may continue to tear each other down.

If this was any other person it would not be like this. Big Buddy was generous, often buying us gifts of food when we took him to the store, but he can't get his son some boxed rice. Why are we ugliest with family?

Meanwhile, Jessie, her boyfriend and I went to visit her mom in the hospital (she just had surgery). Things get messy when Frieda is gone from the home. The boys get into trouble. According to Jessie, they are getting involved in illegal stuff. I think this is new for the Tiger. I hope none of it's true, but from what we can see, it doesn't look good.

I know there is a reason the CEO is described as Father, why the body is the family. There is only one way out of all this mess and it's through the blood of a brother. May we all find the Lover's way and accept his grace before we tear each other to smitherines.