For Pete's Sake

There comes a time for all of us when reaching out to others, being knowledgeable about ourselves, seeking the help of the experts, isn’t quite enough.  We live as if there is a remedy for everything, a pill to be dispensed, a fad that surely perfect us, and even mighty power to blow away our enemies.  Some of what we did as a family during those years of Dad’s absence worked for us and so I suggested above some of the key sources of strength. These were things we could do, emphasizing here things to do, action.  There will be times in life when doing is not sufficient and we are left with being.  We are such a culture of action that we are at a loss to know what to do when action leaves us shortchanged.  Dad’s life seemed worthless to most people.  In fact, in some sense to me, also.  I have spent a lot of time and energy attempting to make sense out of his life. We have wanted to show the reader that even a person lacking in a contribution to our work-a-day world, can have a reason for being. This is a faith statement on my part.  It is something I believe very deeply.  It may not be your conclusion to this half century of Dad’s confinement but it is mine.  It has not always been mine.  My thoughts on the subject only changed when I realized that by sharing his story, his life, his being, could be redeemed.  There would be no book without my decision to share this faith that everyone is a segment of the ages and has his/her place in that great scheme.  And only you, each reader, can decide for yourself whether my action, by faith, has placed a legitimate value upon my Dad’s life. We believe this so strongly that in the beginning of this book, we have dubbed my father Rip Van Winkle II.  While Dad did not regain all his mental faculties, he has now come out of his long slumber of over forty-seven years in an unexpected way.  Now he provides us with the setting by which he can, though us, make a contribution to mental health.  This was not even a dream ten years ago before his death.  This is an example of how we can and must remain open to life’s unexpected turns.  These possibilities take on a spiritual meaning, that is, something far beyond us, bringing events of this nature to fruition. It is when we view the total picture that we get a glimpse of the potential. We began the story with an overview of his ancestry.  Far more than dates and times, we noted that such a view back in time aids us in our understanding of ourselves.  We looked back, also, at the good times when we were a normal family in rural Sullivan County.  Far more than childhood stories common to so many of us, we wrote about childhood as a critical stage for mental health. Far more than reminiscing about school activities, we had the opportunity to see how elementary and high school can be the place where we develop coping skills with the aid of caring teachers and administrators.  Far more than just reading lots of medical charts, we saw how the medical community complex holds the key to healing of the body and mind that goes beyond technology.  Far more than relating how one single mom made ends meet, we were amazed at my mother’s confidence and strength and noted how her early life prepared her for success.  And now, far more than “preaching” our own brand of the Christian faith, we are attempting to show how one needs a focus far beyond themselves, one that works by faith for the long haul. Always in this last Century story, mental health is the issue--For Pete’s Sake and ours and yours.