Even with us sitting here looking at each other right now, I know it’s not an easy thing. MJ: I know it’s not an easy thing, you know, to be able to share our story together. And the fact that you can do it despite how much pain I caused you–it’s like amazing. It motivates me to make sure that I stay on the right path. OI: Just to hear you say those things and to be in my life in the manner that which you are is my motivation. Hopefully one day, I’ll be able to experience that with you.

I’ll have the opportunity to see you graduate. MJ: Well, my natural son is no longer here. OI: I find those things funny because it’s a relationship with a mother for real. And, you know, our conversations, they come from ”Boy, how come you ain’t called over here to check on me in a couple of days? You ain’t even asked me if I need my garbage to go out!” We actually bump into each other all the time leaving in and out of the house. So you can see what I’m doing–you know first hand. It’s something that I’m learning from you – I won’t say that I have learned yet – because it’s still a process that I’m going through. OI: As far as receiving forgiveness from you–sometimes I still don’t know how to take it because I haven’t totally forgiven myself yet. MJ: After you left the room, I began to say: ”I just hugged the man that murdered my son.” And I instantly knew that all that anger and the animosity, all the stuff I had in my heart for 12 years for you–I knew it was over, that I had totally forgiven you.

The initial thing to do was just try and hold you up as best I can–just hug you like I would my own mother. And then, when it was time to go, you broke down and started shedding tears. You know, when I met you it was like, ok, this guy, he’s real. I wanted to know if you were in the same mindset of what I remembered from court, where I wanted to go over and hurt you. O'Shea Author of One Small Thing Series Rock Bay Moon Insolita Luna Sizzling in the Kitchen Little Magic Coconut Cove ( show more) organize filter Works by M.

Stuff My Stocking by M.J. O'Shea