Last night was our last family dinner where we could all be together. My mom and dying father, my brother and his family, me and mine. My brother and sister-in-law have said some nasty things to my son in the past. Comments about him not living up to their ideas of his potential. He made himself scarce, feeding his feelings of insecurity with drugs. He didn't visit my parents, knowing they would try to get him together with his aunt and uncle. But he got his shit together, went through rehab and back on the right track. He hasn't seen my brother's family in 4 years and they knew what he had gone through. Last night, there he was, my big, handsome, strong wonderful son... the one I knew was always there. He was charming and engaging. It was like none of the bad stuff had ever happened. On his way out the door, my SIL says to him, \"Hopefully it won't take a tragedy to get you out here again\".