When Daddy goes to prison, everything changes
And nothing will ever be the same again. This is especially true for children who lived with their father before prison. Suddenly, every encounter they have with Daddy (prison visits, phone calls, or letters) includes an emotional goodbye.
Goodbyes are hard. They remind us we are parting, each…
I sat staring at the small stain in the carpet where Ron had dropped a Sharpie just days before.
It now seemed like a different world already. It was a world where Ron lived with us and we had “normal” problems - like dropped markers, spilled milk, bills to pay, and boys to raise. I…
It is so amazing to me how much people take talking for granted.
How much I used to take it for granted. I love to talk. I talk to people, with people, at people, and I have even been known to talk to myself. It never occurred to me that there would come a day…
You might be surprised that I am actually talking about the impact of prison on sex.
No one really talks about how prison drastically affects intimacy. When Ron went to prison there was one important part of our relationship that stopped. Sex. Naturally, sex had been an important part of our relationship, but it wasn’t…
The question of staying or leaving a man who is in prison is one I hear often
And one I had to wrestle with when Ron went to prison. The pain of the separation, the social prejudice, and the painful memories of trust betrayed all make a compelling case to leave. And yet, you are…
I can remember the day Ron went to jail so vividly!
We woke up that morning and got ready for the day, just like any other day. We showered, brushed our teeth, got dressed, ate breakfast, and even had a small disagreement about a wet towel on the floor. As far as the boys knew,…
I never felt so alone or insignificant as I did when Ron went to prison.
Most of my family and friends had abandoned me. The future looked dark, bleak, and cruel. It seemed to be calling me into a life defined by social isolation, poverty, and hopelessness. I was overwhelmed! I was drowning in responsibilities—taking…
How to support someone
Recently my wife, my daughter, her friend, and I had the great pleasure of taking a pontoon boat out on the lake for the very first time ever. With no instructions, no person to tell me how to navigate, back up, go forward, or how fast to go on a turn,…
Teaching moments
When I read a blog or article that echoes my own beliefs, I feel so affirmed! This is a great article on how to keep your kids safe—by not keeping them too safe. I love it! I watch so many parents overcompensate for the absence of the other parent by doing all these…
It is so crazy how quickly children learn!
Every moment in their lives becomes an opportunity to learn something new. As we were traveling across Ohio to visit Daddy in prison, there were so many “teachable moments” we had together. We were not always conscious of how much our sons were learning from traveling to…