Second Chances

One of my grandkids has a father whom he sees very seldom.

That will all change today - his father is getting out and returning to his loved ones.

Many of you know me to be a hardass about convicted felons, crime, and such things in general.

Well, from working around cops, I know Correctional Facilities take what appear to be Bad People off the street.  Some do their time, reoffend and make their way back.  For some, they've spent so much time incarcerated that it's the only life they feel to be safe - the rules are known, inflexible, and iron hard.  Outside, among real people, the rules are sometimes harder to discern.

Once in a while, however, someone comes out having learned something - possibly the consequences of particular behaviors, possibly what happened that creates the inappropriate behavior, sometimes just with the resolve never to return.

For a change, I am not cynical about this - I truly believe that this person is the exception.  I might be naive, but I have to give him the shot, and support his efforts.  We are about the only family he has, and I honestly think there's not a malign bone in him - although life has crapped in his cheerios times without number.

Now, I really tried to hate this guy - some pretty difficult times with one of my kids were times over which he had influence - but I couldn't hate him - many times I saw a good person there, sorely misguided, a victim of his own shortightedness, poor choices, and poor familial examples.

I know the rate of recidivism is large - but this will be the time the prediction is proven false.

I guess underneath, I'm a big softheaded dope - but that's what I believe, and I am convinced that this guy won't let me down, that he'll be a good father to his child, and a fit husband for my daughter.

And for right now, that's all I have to say on the matter - except you might pray for all of us, that we make the best we can out of what we've been handed.

Thanks.