A Father's Distance A Son's Angst

As an adult no matter how good or how bad you were parented you have to unravel some kind of mess your parents left tangled within you. On the other hand parents are responsible for leveling the angst of it all and owning up to their good and their hand in the damage done parenting their child, or children. Mistakes are always made by parents. But, to exclude parents, if they are alive, from the inner work is not wise. Their perspective is indispensable to understanding the elements living within you, and the circumstances you find yourself living in. 

I know Muhammad Ali is out of the picture, but I cannot, and none of us can fathom the deep feelings of his son. If Ali Jr. can't reconcile with his father in this realm he should, if he knows how, go into the realm of spirits to talk, bitch, and commune with his father's spirit. Or he can do this simple, but effective practice of word song. 

From the Hawaiian tradition is a prayer, Ho'oponopono, and it has four things Ali Jr, or anyone needs to say daily and directed towards the person(s) whose relationship is damaged between the two of you. 

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Forgive me (you).

I love you.

Said daily it proves effective in ways you don't explain. You can't. You need live this, and observe how it works in relationships and personally.  I know there are three stages of forgiveness, but one needs tools and if someone like Ali Jr. ain't got 'em, if it hurts enough, he'll find a way to get them. The question to his manhood is when is enough enough? 

- Gregory E. Woods, 2.1.14



One man wrote: "This is an old story. Several years ago, Junior was working as a handyman at a Virginia Theme Park. (He grew up in Chicago in the home of his maternal grandparents who could barely make ends meet while his mother, Khalila lived with her new husband in the Florida area) He has always sought financial support from his father but Lonnie kept Ali Sr. at a distance, no doubt to protect him from leeching friends and relatives, like Ali Sr's brother Rahman, whom Ali was paying alimony and child support for. As he is now past the age of forty, Junior has long had the opportunity to stand on his own two feet, much like the son of Drew "Bundini" Brown (Ali's cornerman) who didn't have a relationship with his father as well and yet became a commercial airline pilot. - Teddy Parker