Death at the House at Pooh Corner
I found out yesterday that my long estranged brother-in-law passed away about a month ago. Services were private -- so private that his own children were excluded. As our family has coped recently -- and continues to do so -- with death and dying, this one seemed like it should be a simple one. He was an alcoholic. And he was a mean drunk. He was a verbal and emotional batterer. He didn't pay child support, forcing my sister to raise two children on one salary, a difficult task for a teacher. My sister suffered and the kids suffered. He would promise the kids the moon and deliver nothing. Nephew had to learn at a very young age that not only would Daddy not get him the fantastic toys he promised for Christmas, he wouldn't even show up. The second part was harder on the crying little boy than the first. Eventually Niece One and Nephew wanted nothing to do with him until he sobered up. They were tired of the emotional abuse and verbal tirades; they were tired o