Gotta Stick Together...

Before we get started today I gotta deal with a personal issue. Note to my two sons: I know your both mad at each other and you’d rather I’d just stay out of it. But here‘s the deal boy‘s. Get over it and you’d better both be home for Christmas morning. Got it? Good!
Do I think this’ll do any good? Yeah I do. Obviously they’re too big to put over my knee nowadays but for whatever reason they still listen to me. Besides, like most families we’ve been through a lot worse than this.
Yeah I still gotta play the mean old dad part from time to time, but to tell you the truth, being a grandpa is a whole lot easier. Just last night I went to my grandson’s grade school, Christmas program. I just love watching those little kids singing their hearts out. While Adam and his classmates were doing their part I was playing with little Sophi. She just turned 1-year-old a couple of weeks ago and just constantly cracks me up. After the program we went to Mentzer’s for burgers and something to drink. Adam just loves the place, he drank a chocolate shake and l let Sophi drink most of my Pepsi so needless to say, by the time they went home with mom and dad they were both wound up pretty tight. Krista’s my little coloring buddy. And Shawn is just all boy. I don’t know how else to describe him. Once he started walking there has been no stopping him. You clean up one mess and he’s making another and it’s non-stop. We play trucks together and here’s how that usually works. I roll it to him. He throws it across the living room. I go get it. He laughs. I think he’s got me just about where he wants me. Do I spoil them? Oh yeah! And yes, I do consider it a form of payback.
How about you guys? Are you mad at somebody in your family? Maybe you haven’t spoken to your brother for a couple years because of some stupid fight you guys had. Maybe you’re mad at your sister. Could be either your parents or grandparents. Maybe it’s an aunt or an uncle, who knows?
I know, some things just can’t be worked out. But what’s it going to hurt to make a phone call just to say hi or maybe Merry Christmas? Maybe invite them over for Christmas dinner. Maybe you'll find out you both stopped being mad a long time ago. Maybe not. But unless someone makes the first move you’ll never know. Just remember, if you keep putting it off for whatever reason the day will come when it’s too late. Don't wait that long.
Well guys, it was two years ago almost to the week that I started writing this column and I’d like to thank you and Denise Hall for putting up with me as long as you have. It doesn’t come up often but every once in a while someone will ask me why I named the column “Room 235.” I’ve told the story before so some you might remember it. Just so the rest of you know, two years ago this week my grand daughter passed away. She was in Room 235 at Stormont-Vail, so there you go. Next week I’ll tell you the story about our little Emily and what she meant to us.
Yeah, I’m pretty confident our family’s going to weather this latest spat between brothers just fine. Like I said earlier, we’ve made it through a hell of a lot tougher times than this.
Like always, you’re invited to visit my blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net