John & Helen I hope it works out well for all of you .
15 yrs. ago My 17 & 1/2 yr. old lad took a similar route after I threw him out for using crack etc. & bringing a dealer plus associates into the home .
He seems to have survived long enough to get over it and become a charge hand in a factory but does not bother to reply to letters/ birthday cars / crimbo cards / phone calls or emails .
I didn,t go down the drug route when i was young, but did hold a massive grudge against my parents when they divorced... they both remarried new partners..who on both sides had kids.... my sister was put in a home..she has cerbal pausy and i use to trot between 3 homes, mums dads and nans... i use to pinch the odd bottle of beer or cider... but never really got into trouble...i then joined the army without telling anyone ...that caused a little panic when no one knew where i was...
after about 10 years .....i felt the need to make it up with them all..it wasn't easy, as i felt i never did nothing wrong
my step brothers and step sisters seemed to have been having a great life ....i didn't care about me..but was annoyed that my sister was being left out..
I'm 52 this year and when i look back..i am glad i managed to recoup some sort of relationship... my dad died in my arms..and i got to tell him i loved him before he went...even to this day, i get annoyed we didn't try harder.
i have lost mum now to alzheimers...she is alive ..but don't know who i am...she does recognise annie my sister..they take her to see mum once a week..maybe the wheelchair sparks something...
the lad will be home this weekend... so its a new start for all of us... life is a funny game..its far to short to hold grudges ...
keep sending the cards Cloddopper...one day he may realise...