When I heard of Al’s death, I reacted with the same disdains3 the world shows for one who ends his life with nothing material to show for it. “What a complete failure！” I thought. “What a totally wasted life！”
As time went by, I began to reevaluate my earlier harsh judgment. You see, I knew Al’s now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.
I hadn’t heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to defend an alcoholic. One day I worked up my