Ohhhhh maaaaannnn! Did we have some debates around our house, or what?!?!
I'm not sure when it began, I think it might have been on the nights they washed dishes together. Alison and David could get into some pretty deep discussions. Alison would ask her dad what he thought about a certain subject. He would respond. She would be apalled at his response. He wouldn't care if she was apalled or not. She would (at some point) start to cry. They would talk around in circles for (sometimes) hours, never resolving anything. In the end, both parties were usually super frustrated and exhausted.
This happened on a regular basis. Usually after the boys were in bed. Topics ranged from politics to religion to physics and everything in between. Generally, when they started to get going, Nicole and I would roll our eyes and retreat into another room, Neither Nicky nor I had the patience to endure these long debate sessions.
But in spite of the fact that they virtually always disagreed, I was so grateful that David and Ali had each other. I was grateful that Alison had a parent who was as ceribrial as her. Someone who enjoyed thinking deeply about many different subjects and could articulate their thoughts to her. If she had asked me why something was the way it was, I probably wouldn't have an answer for her - or even care what the answer was in some cases. David was a great parent for her curious mind.
Alison was also good for David. He had thought through his opinions (probably more so than most people), but had usually discussed uncomfortable subjects with like-minded people. He has always wondered how people could see things so differently from him. Alison has given David the opportunity to really research his opinions and be able to articulate them to someone who sees things differently. I have seen him take weeks researching a subject and taking notes on it so that he can share his findings with Alison. He really took this opportunity seriously. He also has probably seen the "other side" more than he would have without Alison to challenge him.
Although the debate gets pretty heated around here, and Nicky and I usually run for cover, I am so glad that David and Alison have each other - a safe person who truly loves them - to discuss the things that matter to them.
