A New Book Recommendation

Christopher Buckley (author, funny guy, child of the arguably more famous William R. Buckley Jr.–his words, not mine) recently published, Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir about his parents after losing both of them (his mum first and then his pup not too long afterwards).

If you have parents–living or deceased–I recommend it. It’s sweet and honest and something worth reading by someone who can name drop with the best of them, and not because he’s bragging, but because that’s just who was around his dinner table.

There’s much to say about surviving your parents (and by surviving I mean living beyond their death and simply surviving their wraths). I’d like  one day to write some stories down about my own, but am not sure how well they would survive it. No matter what, my thoughts on them are a culmination of all they gave me and I like to think (hope?) that if I took count the good stuff would out number the bad.

Of course, I write even this as if they are all still living, which is false. I’ve lost one parent over thirty years ago. Some days I still struggle with his death. Other days I find my clarity and realize that it is not his death I struggle with, but my own presumption that should his life had continued, it would have fulfilled me in ways that I am incomplete. How big of a what-if is that!? Too big to place on one man for sure.

Sometimes I like to think we are all just people and remove the familial roles to remember that mistakes get made. And as we go through this life, most of us some how turn from child to parent and then to child again with our own children following in suit. It’s life and it is best to be thought of as a playground. Have fun. Do. Say your sorry. Admit when you’re wrong. Be accountable, but don’t dwell. Blah, blah, blah. I’ll stop being a preacher-woman now.

Wait, one more, go buy Buckley’s book. It’s a good read to take on vacation.