The Beginning

My children were here last night for my every Thursday visitation.  They were testing my every nerve, pretty much completely out of control.  As I continuously tried to maintain order amidst the chaos, I realized that their behavior was stemming from yet another batch of lies that had been fed to them by their mother earlier in the week, and that one of the people who should care about them the most in this world was intentionally going to turn their lives upside down...yet again.

But in order to begin that story, I have to go back now and continue where I left off, for without the story of the past, you could never begin to understand the magnitude of the present and the uncertainty of the future.

So, as I was saying before, I met my ex-wife while attending Bob Jones University.  She was also raised in a very strict religious fashion (even more so than I) so it seemed that we made a good match. 

We began dating and things were going well.  I won't lie here and say that I didn't love her or that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with her.  I proposed to her at City Park....and she said yes.

The wedding should have been an indicator of the type of life I was about to venture into.  We had a quiet ceremony at a church and then returned to her parents home for the "reception".  Well, I don't know that you could really call it a reception now that I think of it.  Looking back, if you were an outsider looking in, you may have thought you were attending a wake, except for the cake and all.

There was no music....no dancing.  Most of the people who were there (I'm talking 80% or more) were close to twice our age, if not older than that.  I don't remember a lot of celebrating going on, more like sitting or standing around quietly. 

Probably not what most people imagine their wedding day to be like at all, right?  I began to realize how sheltered a life SK really led.  I mean, I know I was really sheltered at that time compared to most people my age, but COME ON, no music or dancing?

As it turns out, completely sheltering your children from everything you deem "bad, inappropriate, disturbing...or maybe just a little upsetting" may not be the best thing for them.  Of course it is good to protect them from many things, but you also have to let them have some exposure into what the outside world is really like.

Otherwise, they can really go off the deep end eventually....and that's just what she did.