All,
A few weeks ago, in a moment of despair, I wrote a letter to Marie about some of the things I lament about this experience. In the process of attempting to sell our house my stuff was packed up and moved to a storage unit in another state, my truck was sold, my dog died, the chickens were sold and the ‘coupdeminium’ my father-in-law built for the chickens was given away, I missed Holidays, birthdays, basketball games, swim meets, concerts amongst other things this experience has cost me. It was a low moment, admittedly, prison is tough, not only are we punished, but our families are punished as well.
My wife was hurt, she has done so much, she has kept the family together, she has maintained the house, did everything she could to hold onto what she could and make the best decisions she could given my absence. Family, friends, and amazing supporters have come to her aid again and again, truly many reading this have been instruments in God’s Grace getting us through all this. She reminded me about how some lost much more than I. Entire marriages were destroyed, children estranged, relationships shattered, all earthy possessions sold to pay for attorneys, some are left in dire straights and have little to come home to.
In Alexander Duma’s book The Count of Monte Cristo, Dante explains at the end, that ‘hope’ and ‘wait’ are two of the greatest virtues for man. Years ago, Marie and I (she started it) used to say to each other when we would see our kids playing peacefully or rambunctiously; everyone seated at the dinner table; driving around looking at Christmas lights; seeing kids excited to roast marshmallows around the backyard campfire; or even just laying in bed on a Saturday morning and hearing the pitter patter of kids feet running down the hall to join you, that this was “the best part”. I hope and wait to again see “the best part” again. To again see the normal, everyday moments again would be so sweet, something truly worth hoping and waiting.
We are getting close to see how President Trump will fulfill his promise to deal with us, we are limited on what we know, or what to do, we have had to hope and wait. One of the things that gives me great hope, is that unlike any politician ever, Donald will move heaven and earth to keep his promises, that he won’t allow politics to be played with our lives. I hope that he does what he has implied in a simple and broad manner and fast, after all, ‘it’s just piece of paper’, to allow us to return to put the pieces of our lives back together again, we hope and wait desperately for “the best part”.
Taylor