Boaz no regrets. My concern is with Numbats contributing to the stigmatising of people because an individual has a different opinion on Dave Smith’s article about good sportsmanship in boxing –not “pointscoring”. I do regret Numbat’s anguish.

Boaz: Anne is not related to Ranc. But who wouldn’t be honoured to have her as a daughter?

My daughter is mentally ill. She has fought the” black dog” and has it under control. I have a few mentally ill friends. You’ve heard me say: “Fight, fight , fight you’ll never win”. Two things that me and mine will always fight. The black dog (mental illness) or pressure to turn from our humanity. Some assume that I am talking about physical fighting.

NO. I used a quote from Orwell’s 1984 to explain my intention.

“…If you can feel that staying human is worthwhile, even when it can’t have any result whatever, you’ve beaten them.”

So literally I am saying fight, fight you never win because I’ll always “stay human”. The “stay human” is having the capacity to feel as humans do and the strength to not join any group that inflicts injustice on others. “

Boaz you say: “none of them (your three Children) have turned out to fit my dreams”. I find that patronising or at least unwise. It suggests that Numbat and I have some disappointment in our children.

NO. My daughter has fought the good fight and her story is similar to Anne”s. I have always wanted my three children to achieve THEIR dreams. I do dream of a more pleasant journey and outcomes for her and other people with mental illness. There comes a point Boaz when the fulfilment of their dreams is secondary to our own aspirations.
You know?

Thanks for your post, it was otherwise helpful.