LIFE WITH MY CHILDREN PART 29

During the period Joe and I were broken up, my children faced another heart-breaking situation.

Over the years, I had stayed in touch with their father, Meredith (Mark) Reed. Not real closely, but he would call once or twice a year and I sent school pictures and updates at least once a year.
In April that year he called and said he was being shipped to Viet Nam and wanted to see the kids before he shipped out. He said he was going to Grand Rapids to see his folks and would stop by Ypsilanti on his way there.

You never saw two such excited kids! That's all they talked about all week. On Saturday we spruced up the house 'til it shined. I even bought two bouquets of fresh flowers for the living room. Now, I had tried to dampen their excitement a little...hoping to dull the disappointment if he didn't show up, by telling them all the reasons he might not be able to visit. Like...not enough money to make the trip....early deployment...illness, him or his wife....etc. Yet, their excitement was contagious and I got caught up in it, too.

So, then Saturday...then Sunday...came and went with not so much as a phone call. Tammy and Buddy were devastated. They cried off and on all Saturday night and all day Sunday. And I cried, too....for the pain they were feeling.

That was the end of any cordial feelings I had towards my ex-husband. Hurting me was one thing, but hurting my kids was unforgiveable. Except for one Christmas present each the next Christmas, they had no contact with their father until they were grown and contacted him on their own. To this day, and they're both 50 years old at this writing, they have never seen him since they were two and three years old.