>>120639181Our dad died of an aneurism when I was still in high school, mom passed a few years later of cancer. Both were only children, 3 out of 4 grandparents are dead - grandpa on my mom’s side is at full mental capacity and a great guy, we still talk to him often, but he’s been physically disabled almost his whole life (polio complications as well as other stuff) and doesn’t have the energy, space, or financial resources to care for a young kid.
My sister was 2 years older and a drug user but it was a very sudden OD, not a steady decline - in spite of her addiction she was still doing her best to take care of the kiddo and she was well-fed and groomed, clean house etc.. But one day she just ended up with some laced shit and that was it. The dad was never in the picture, they can’t even find him.
I went to college and have a okay enough job plus I love her so that was a better choice than tossing her into the system. I definitely never planned on having a kid this early, but in spite of some of the hardest days of my life leading here there are certainly some that feel like a pure blessing. Just the daily routine of answering her motor mouth’s charming and strange questions is both perspective-broadening and gives me a feeling of connection to her in those moments that I don’t think I ever had with my own dad considering he was pretty stoic and cold and I was such an insular kid. I’m teaching a person how to live and I want to do a good job
