Hi Elaine, sorry for the late response. This week is my first week at a new job so my schedule has been pretty hectic.

I'm glad you emailed me and I appreciate you taking the time to share the family history. Of course, there's not a lot I can't relate to personally. I've been very lucky to have healthy and supportive parents and the older I get, the more I recognise how rare and privileged that makes me!

You should know that Mel loves you and would value a relationship with you. But she's also an intelligent and critically minded person. I'm not sure you realise this but the strength of character and insistence on being treated with respect and decency are traits she gets from you, not Jim. There's no lack of compassion! she is her mothers daughter, just without the psychological challenges. I think if you can remember that before firing off an email, things can be healthy between you.


For what it's worth, i love the fact that Mel doesn't let people off the hook too easily. That's a rare quality - Most people lack the backbone to stand up for themselves; so when you say things like "I've blocked your email" etc, you can't expect her to dismiss it as a symptom of illness just as you wouldn't accept people dismissing your professional advise on account of your illness.


Anyway, gotta run but just try reaching out to Mel affectionately. She's got so much going right now in her life and it shouldn't only be my parents and I probing her about the details...

And as for us, we'd like to hear how your going; the business, family, friends, how you're spending your time lately ...

Thanks for the well wishes regarding fatherhood. And congrats to you on almost being a grandma!

Love
Dan