Dear Savanah:

What about sending him a message (one that may begin a series of messages/ talks), something like the following:

I have some understanding about how devastating this latest news is for you. I can only imagine the distress you are feeling. I understand the anger, I think I understand. In context of this happening, I am more regretful than before about lashing out at you in anger before. I wish I didn’t.

This is what I want to communicate to you today: I want to help you. I want to be that calm, dependable presence in your life, consistently. I can be that person in your life you can count on to always be respectful toward you, never again lash out. Same on your part, toward me.

I can help you if you need help with (a list, perhaps, of specific physical tasks). I can be there for you as we both, maybe, figure out how to live a functional life with this new fact of life. Maybe together, as friends, or as more than friends, we can make the life available to us the best that it can be.

-end

What do you think?

anita