I didn’t write anything yesterday because I am having a terrible time shaking this cold or flu or whatever it is that I brought back from Colorado. And now to add insult to injury, my back is out of whack and I can’t stand up straight. And my chiropractor is closed today. Getting old is the PITS! At least I am not caring for attachment-affected children while I am sick … there is much to be thankful about that fact. In a later post, I will talk about how Mama being sick shakes the already shaky foundation our kids are trying to build, and how rather than Mama getting empathy and pampering, she gets more grief than ever when she’s sick. Sound familiar?


A reader wrote and asked me about movies that relate to RAD or relationships. She mentioned Ordinary People and how that addressed familial relationships. I haven’t seen that in ages but I remember it was a great movie. The reader mentioned several others. I’ll watch them and poll ATN’s parents and get back to you on those reviews.


But my favorite movie addressing RAD is An Officer and a Gentleman. It’s a mere 25 years old and Richard Gere is a whole lot younger, as was I … Wikipedia has a synopsis of it as well.


The story is about Richard Gere’s character, Zack. Zack is a Navy brat … basically an unattached one. He meets Paula, whose major advantage in life is her family. The story is about Zack learning about family and commitments from several sources. One main source is his Gunnery Sergeant, Louis Gossett, Jr. The sergeant does what sergeants do … he breaks Zack down and then rebuilds him as a better man. It is a great movie.


I know Foster Cline has often used this movie as the story of someone with attachment issues. It exemplifies why the military is often a good choice for some of our kids. I so wish my daughter had followed through with her joining the Navy plan. I know boot camp would have been extremely hard for her, but the payoffs would have been huge.


Let me know what you think about this movie!

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