Sunday, March 14, 2010

My One and Only

My apologies for not posting more often. Lots of other stuff in life to keep me busy. Here is a movie I really enjoyed watching with my kids. My One and Only. It is a refreshingly funny story of a single mother and her two sons seeking their fortune and perhaps a new man, set in the 1950's. There are many touching lines about the absent father(s) and an uncle presents a strong male role model. Nothing man-hating about this movie, but not a classic Hollywood ending, although definitely a Hollywood ending. You have to see it. Nice to have this kind of comedy around.

PS Here is a post at Wade Burleson's blog on a similar topic, although not a comic treatment. He cites a letter he received,
    I know many of you do not care for Barak Obama, and as pastor (not to mention an elections official), I'm not endorsing or condemning Obama in anyway. However, I've heard him say something recently concerning the one time that he met his father at the age of ten that has resonated with me and it's this: "I considered the absence of my father to be a strength."

    I say all that to say this: My mother, when left alone, was able to work and be a mother raising a future attorney (my sister) and a future Christian minister (me) doing doctoral studies at the seminary. It was only when the man returned to the home from time to time that much of my mom's work was undermined and at times, seemingly destroyed (and would've been if it had not been for God's grace).
Absent fathers - and mothers - are longed for. They may sometimes appear to be written off, but privately they are longed for. However, reality does teach some people, those who are open to facing reality, that absence is sometimes a blessing.

2 comments:

Donald Johnson said...

Lack of abuse or other toxic behavior is a blessing.

Anonymous said...

Suzanne,


On this post, I know I can speak to that as an adult... Single parenting is no picnic, but it is a lot easier than it was to be a wife in a situation where I was treated as a subordinate and had to walk on eggshells to keep the peace. It's strange that one of the things I was most afraid of, when I decided to separate from my abuser, was how hard it was going to be to be a single parent. Within the first couple weeks I was shocked to discover how much more time and energy I had for my kids, now that it was no longer being sucked down the black hole of keeping a very unstable person happy.

PS. I just wanted to say that I got your card...and... I about fell over when I opened it---lol. I don't even have words beyond a stammered out, "thank you."
I'll write more later, privately, but just wanted you to know.
((((((((you))))))))

M