by Kevin Deeny
His struggle with this question, which he placed on God’s list, caused him to look inside for the answer. When Marcus looked within himself, he saw his father, some good and some bad, and realized that the anger of his father existed in him too. He had long been focused on himself as a victim of other’s meanness but failed to see it in himself. In the end, he did not know why his father was angry and concluded that he might never know, but he understood confronting that was a battle uniquely for his father. However, he discovered he could do something about his own anger and actively sought to control it. He would fail frequently but would build on the successes. As an adult, few would ever see Marcus angry.
In the end, he had answered his question in part; he did not know the source of anger and the meanness it spawns in others, but he did understand it in himself and learned that it can be set aside. People do not have to be angry or mean; in the end, it’s a choice.
End Note
A few scenes in this novel take place in a children’s hospital in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The setting, in a fourth-floor solarium play room, is a construct of the author. Alas, if you walk down the hallway on the fourth floor of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), you will not find the solarium there. However, it is entirely likely that you will meet courageous children with much to teach us.
About the Author
Kevin Deeny is a life-long resident of Levittown Pennsylvania where, with his wife Marcia, raised four daughters. He is an environmental engineer, amateur photographer, and tinkerer – curious about most things. He has previously published a collection of essays entitled A Patch of Light – Reflections from Levittown. When he and Marcia are not enjoying the trails on Hawk Mountain and area parks, you may find him beneath his ’57 Chevy.