Fool's Hill

I know I have made more than my share of mistakes in life.  When we goof, we have to live with the fall-out...whether it's minor or major.  Perhaps the worst part of "messing up" is when others have to live with the negative outcomes.  That is on my mind because I am still paying for a grave mistake my son made.  That's right, I feel that I am paying for something I didn't do.  That's what I get for loving my child.....and that won't change, even if I do have to endure some difficult times.

About 10 years ago, my son married a girl who lied to him, deceiving him about who she really was and the truth about her background.  Turned out drugs were a great part of her life.  After they were married, it didn't take too long for her to brag about all the kinds of drugs she had used in her past. 

My son has never used illegal drugs for a variety of reasons.  He became very upset with her for lying to him about her drug usage, and soon realized she had never quit using them. 

We suspect she used illegal drugs while pregnant with their first child, but cannot prove it.  She has admitted to it in the past, but that is not "proof".  Viewing the child's "drug baby" symptoms, however, does not take one long to realize she likely did use drugs while pregnant.  I highly suspect, now, that when she took the baby (in the infant car seat where she often left him for hours) to a friend's home for several days, she used meth and other drugs and endlessly smoked cigarettes, with the baby present to smell all the toxic smoke. 

My son caught her smoking pot when she was pregnant with the 2nd child.  The 2nd child is also an obvious "drug baby". 

My son and this girl are now divorced, and the children are with her in another location (not Gwinnett).  I shall not tell any more of this saga, as some events are unfolding relating to this, and I don't wish to compromise the stressful situation. I never envisioned going through all the things I have dealt with over the past few years. 

A friend made a comment to me a few weeks ago that made me laugh.... because what she said was such a true statement, and because it was something her grandmother used to say, which was:

Everybody loves to climb Fool's Hill, but it sure is a slow ride down the other side!

My son is now married to a sweet, hard-working lady, but his ride down Fool's Hill is far from over.  He will pay for the ride up the hill for a long time.  Too bad he was so hard-headed and knew 'everything' 10 years ago.  I could have saved us all some grief if he had been open to common sense.  Oh, well!  That's life, ain't it?  We'd rather climb Fool's Hill than listen to our parents when we are know-it-all teenagers! 

Now, when folks ask how I am, I often reply, "Just about perfect!"  I might as well say that.  No one wants to hear a word about how my son's slow ride down Fool's Hill is affecting me!