Rebuilding Rob

9 1/2 years ago today began the most turbulent period of my life. Within a span of 48 hours, I found out that I was going to have Kid 2; only to also have my father go to the hospital for what would be the beginning of the end of his life.

I was in a real no-win situation. The pregnancy was tough one for X2, so I wanted to be there for her as much as I could. Of course, I wanted to be in the hospital as much as possible for my father as well. No matter what I did, either X2 or my immediate family would be upset that I wasn’t around enough for either of them.

As this was unfolding, I remember thinking to myself “What would The Old Man say? If he wasn’t doped out of his mind on painkillers, what would he say when I told him X2 was pregnant and already having a rough time with it?” I can say with absolute certainty that he would tell me to go home and take care of MY family, the one that I had made; and that’s exactly what I did.

At the time, my mother, my brother and sister were all pretty stunned at the fact that the Old Man was dying. They couldn’t even process why I would want to spend time with my pregnant then-fiancée.

Grieving is a process unto itself. Adjusting to the new reality is another matter altogether. But eventually, I think immediate family came to see things from my point-of-view. But like so many other things in my immediate family, it was swept under the rug and no one ever talked about it again. That makes the healing process extremely difficult.

For those curious about the title of the original post. I think I stumbled across it on Google back in the day…

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article “Rob Revisits: Sturm und drang” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.