It Really is a Wonderful Life - An Update on Aaron

One of my all time favorite movies is "It's a Wonderful Life".

I know almost every line by heart.

It's perfection.

One of my favorite parts in the movie is the very beginning, where they are just showing the angels talking, and you see the stars blinking in the sky.

Joseph is telling Clarence how desperately George Bailey needs their help.

Clarence asks 'Is he sick?'

Joseph replies, 'No, it's much worse, he's discouraged'.

Just think about that for a minute.

When I posted my 'Trouble in Paradise' post the other day, this is what I felt like inside.

Friends, I can't believe the outpouring of love, encouragement and advice you've given me.

I wish I had the time to answer each comment and email.

I have read them over and over.

I've shared them with my sister.

I jotted down all the book recommendations.

My sister said to me yesterday, 'Someone must be praying for us'.

We are so encouraged.

Remember the end scene where all of George's friends come in and drop money on the table?

I felt that you all came here and 'dropped' comments and prayers.

I feel the sense of the wonder and disbelief that George Bailey felt at that moment.

The unspeakable gratitude.

Clarence Oddbody wrote in George's book -

'Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends'.

I feel like the most successful woman in the world!

And before I get off of my "It's a Wonderful Life" soapbox, can we just talk about Donna Reed for a moment?

Look at this face.

Isn't that the most perfect face you've ever seen?

Don't you love how she fixes up the old house, mothers the children, and wears those little aprons?

Now look at this face.

Isn't this the most perfect face you've ever seen? :-)

I don't know where to begin on the 'update'.

I got home from Missouri on Tuesday night.

Wednesday night I talked to Aaron on the phone for a moment, and he called my sister a 'total a**hole'. I told him I wouldn't listen to him speak that way, and I'm not sure if I hung up on him, or he hung up on me....but we just hung up.

I drove over there.

By the time I got there, I could tell he'd been crying - a lot.

I took him in his bedroom and talked to him a very long time.

Let me just tell you that I've only raised my voice at Aaron one time in his entire life.

We talk.

We really talk, and really communicate.

He talks to me. He tells me how he feels, he tells me what he thinks.

We have a really good relationship.

In one part of our conversation, I asked him why he never spoke to me the way he speaks to his mother.

He said it was because he knew better.

He knew I wouldn't tolerate it.

I asked him why he spoke to his mother the way he did....

'because she let's me'.

Oh boy.

After Aaron and I talked for nearly an hour alone, I went out and talked with my sister and Aaron together.

Aaron confessed that he knew that if he acted terrible long enough, he'd get his way.

We calmly explained to him that it was no longer going to work that way.

I used this analogy. It's a sorry one....so forgive me...but it got the point across.

I told him that he was like a dog that lived in a house where he chewed the furniture, pooped in the floor and barked constantly, and got treats for doing it.

This time, he wasn't getting any treats, so he barked louder, pooped more, and chewed up more things, hoping that behavior would work.

I've come to the realization that I really can't do anything to correct this behavior, because it's all directed toward my sister.

He's really great with me, and give me no grief.

How he treats my sister gives me a lot of grief.

That night, I really believe that we got through to him.

We all had such an open, honest conversation.

My sister said he's been a model child since.

I'm not silly enough to believe that this will be the end of it....but I do believe it's a great first step.

I believe in Aaron.

I believe he'll make the right choices in life.

I believe 'God knew we needed him' - another great line, from another great movie

"Anne of Green Gables"

I believe that Aaron will grow and continue to be one of the biggest blessings in my life.

I believe there will be more hard times to come.

I believe God will give us the wisdom.

I ended my 'Trouble in Paradise' asking if there was hope.

Today I feel incredibly hopeful.

Isn't that what Easter is all about?