Flying High

First I wanted to say thanks for the kind comments and condolences both through the blog and e-mail / text, etc. I have 3 or 4 posts in my head that I'm going to try to catch up if the sleeping dogs will lie...

This is primarily an update but you'll have to forgive the necessity of a little family history to help it make sense. My mother and dad adopted my brother (aka the prodigal) shortly after they were married when she was 17 or 18, having just graduated high school. My brother is the biological child of my aunt, mother's sister. My other brother and I came along somewhat as a surprise years later, in fact, my adopted brother is 20 years older than I am. He married when I was around 2 years old and had been married before for a very short period of time therefore I have a niece (who I have never met) that is older than me and 2 nephews and another niece who are only a couple of years younger than I am. Shortly after the second marriage, he moved to his wife's home state and he and his family have lived there ever since except for a very short stint during which they attempted to live here near the family - that didn't work for her at all.

OK, maybe that condensed version will help the update and prior story make more sense. At this point in time, brother dear is back in the wife's home state and she, in theory, got out of jail today. My aunt had talked to him a couple of days ago and said that he sounded good then mom and I spoke to him yesterday...not so good. It amazes me that my mom and aunt have reached their age and are still so naive about some things; particularly him! I know that part of it is simply that they don't want to see it but how can you possibly try to help if you fail to acknowledge the problem?? Brother dear was flying high when we spoke. Sure, he sounded like he felt good but it was the drug induced good before a crash. And, as usual, he wants money and is lying about what he plans to do with it but they just don't see.

It's hard to know what is true with him at any point, especially when he's on something. He swears he hasn't taken anything but, call me cynical or whatever you want to, I don't believe him. That comment allows an easy segue into another post topic I intended to mention anyway.

Glass half full or half empty? Optimist or pessimist? I find it mildly amusing that different people who know me, mostly fairly well but at different levels all have different perceptions. Can'tSpell says I'm a pessimist. I have other friends who say I'm an optimist. Maybe I truly do have a split personality as I've often joked...