Sadness Part 1

I expect that this will continue for some time, which is why I label the post Part 1.

My wife is an only child. Her parents have been having marital issues for some time, and they have now come to a head. While her mother was in the state capital and her father was visiting us, her mother had either a restraining order or a protection order drawn up. When her father returned home and tried to call her mother in the state capital, her mother had the police come and serve the order to her father and force him to leave the house. With no where to turn until he is able to find out more at the court hearing on June 4, he has come to visit us.

Both mother and father have caused pain to each other in the past, and both need to make changes in order for this situation to get resolved with them on better terms with each other. I don't know that both of them will be willing to do that.

It is hard not to choose sides (other than I am fully on my wife's side), and it is hard to know how to help my children deal with this new reality. They are really struggling to handle it. Of course, I don't know how I might be able to help my wife either, but at least it's not taking her completely by surprise.

My wife read the order and started to get the feeling that she, listed as "child in common" might be restricted from contact with her mother as well. We are uncertain if that is actually the case though, as the wording doesn't make it clear and the legality of something like that seems questionable. My wife has had her own difficulties with her mother over the years, and it is hard to know if there is anything that can be done to patch their relationship now.

My wife has had issues with her father in the past as well. These seem to be improving as time goes on. Perhaps there is a chance that one day things can work out better with her mother as well.