Coming and Going

When I arrived at the office, Charles was wearing the same pants that I had ordered him to take off yesterday. My mentally ill adopted son is driving me crazy because he refuses to be seen by a doctor and his feet are swollen and he won't listen to me. In fact, he yelled at me for the first time in a decade.

"Sir!" he bellowed down the hall, "can I see you in your office?"

I walk in and he immediately begins talking very loudly, "Sir, I grew up impoverished and my father gave me this suit to wear to school and the coat fit but the pants were too short and came up to here." He pointed just below his kneecaps.

"And they made fun of me and this was the first pants that ever fit me right." I looked at his tread bare pants that were mostly held together with duck tape.

I sighed. "OK, Charles, so change your pants and see the doctor."

"Sir why don't you just give me $2000 and I'll go to Augusta like I want to."

"Go Charles! Get out of my office." he left.

Charles yelled at me. For the first time in a decade. He yelled because I am ordering him to do things that he doesn't want to do. I understand that. Things are happening in my life that I don't want to happen. It's part of living, I guess.

People come and people go in our lives. None of us know how long we will have them. Here today could very well be gone tomorrow. Charles wants to leave and I want him to stay because this is the best he's ever had it in his life and he isn't capable of understanding that. For a decade he has been content but the contentment is fading away.

I know that it really is his choice in the end. Not mine. He can walk away anytime that he wants. Anybody can walk away anytime that they want. I suppose the lesson in this is to realize it and relish the time that you have with those who are in your life. Because in life, it doesn't last.