Johnny, I hardly know ye

An open letter to my middle child, whom I called Johnny.

12/24/08

Dear John,

I am sending this holiday note so it’ll arrive a little early (12/23). Enclosed is an article by Al Gore from Mother Jones magazine. I have entered a subscription to this important journal for you. I hope to take you, and Dan if he’d like to come, and Jim, out to lunch on Christmas Day. I’ll be at the Lost Dog Café in Westover at noon on Thurs. 12/25. I’d love it if you come.

I have taken [date] off from work, your 21st birthday, and I will take you out to lunch on that happy day too! On [date] at noon I’ll be at the Lost Dog Café in Westover. I hope to see you then, too.

I hope you are well.

Love Dad

[I sent this holiday greeting to the house two miles away where my children lived until recently, when it was sold and the only phone number that I had for them was disconnected. Their Mother has refused to give me their new address.

All of my then-minor children walked out of my life permanently in March of 2003, when the "fiduciary" suit "they" filed against me was thrown out of court as a "harassment" petition. The court found it to be "unconscionable" and "nothing more than keeping the divorce action alive by [wife] and her counsel [William B. Reichhardt of Fairfax], who are totally unsatisfied with the results of the equitable distribution hearing."

Ultimately she had to pay me almost $50,000 in sanctions and legal costs, while I lost my children forever. In contempt of all manly and fatherly logic and in mockery of our court system and the custody order, I haven’t seen John, or any of my children, for more than a few minutes in toto since then. Not a one of them has communicated a single word to a single relative of mine in the intervening half decade.

It is against Public Policy for minor children to be parties in a divorce action. My situation is validation of this sacred societal norm, which only a certain type of parent, and a select breed of divorce lawyers, would violate. The victims of this breach of trust are children.]