He Thought He Was a Black Sheep

He was the weird one, the odd one, the one the family laughed about. He heard them laughing, and it hurt when he was a boy. By the time he was a teenager, it hurt less, but it still hurt. He moved away and developed a new family – a family of friends. They encouraged him and uplifted him and inspired him. He was popular with them because they liked him. He fell in love and got married, and they raised three sons. The sons were goofy and funny and hilarious like their dad. They wanted to know his family, but he discouraged them. His family had changed; they had gotten worldlier. They wanted to know his sons too. So, he finally took them there. He thought his parents and siblings would make fun of him. Instead they shared funny stories, and laughed with him, not at him. He was astounded! They had liked him all along. He was the one who misconstrued their affection as bullying. He was no black sheep at all, he was a blue sheep. Sad that he had let so much time expire before he came home.