The situation with shutdowns, etc. has really hit one of my sons hard -- to the point that he has developed a substance abuse issue. But his court-mandated counseling has been a real blessing.

One of my biggest struggles as a dad is my worry about the mistakes I make on a regular basis and their impact on my sons -- and I'm sure that's a pretty universal concern. Although his conversations with his counselor are confidential between the two of them, I have been given confirmation that my son loves me and respects me and he doesn't blame me. Can't overestimate exactly how much that means -- or how much I don't like the circumstances in which I obtained that confirmation.

Hopefully he doesn't have any addiction issues. Or if he does, hopefully they won't be a major obstacle or problem for him.