Moving post here man, I think I get the point you're trying to make here. You employed your tried-and-true methodology with this individual and they tripped up for one reason or another and it seems they perhaps grew, matured or changed a little bit and wanted to connect with you, potentially seeing their mistake and trying to right a wrong? That's what I reckon at least.
I hear you on the kids part. I have been doing a lot of introspection lately and I am hoping that I'm able to part the good qualities of humanity onto the little man as best I can, in ways that I know my dad tried to do as best he could but at the disadvantage of being at work so often doing the best he could. I wouldn't change the way I grew up but there are things in the way that I grew up that I know I want to make different with the little man as he grows up. For one, trying to be there as often as I can to teach him things that were not taught to me, in addition to the great things that were taught to me.
I hope that I'm able to pass what I think these good qualities are, in hopes that I can be an agent of positive change for him and my little family, so that we could potentially make positive ripples in the world. We all know that we sorely need more positive ripples!
Things happen that are out of our control, but I'm hoping that you could impart your knowledge, skills and life lessons on a young lad or gal that is a neighbor or someone nearby. I know you have certainly been a good influence on Smallsteps and your other nephew(s) (not sure if there are multiple up north or others) but having one a little more local can help as well.
Partly. Also, that my insistence on that methodology trips me up also, like I'm inflexible and sometimes that costs me something that I might otherwise not have wanted to lose through upholding my values so stringently. Honour and integrity can be a dichotomy, is what I guess I'm trying to say.
If this is what you do then E-dog is in good hands, as I've said before. It's all we can, the best we know how, and that's what my parents did as well, although they got some of it wrong; they were just human after all.
From what I know, you're well on the right track.
I have my niece and nephew and that's something. I do what I can I guess, with whomever is open to it and whilst I'm not always right, I'm always me and there's often something a person can take away from that if they choose.