My sister's ex-husband passed away this week. I don't quite know how I'm supposed to feel about it; the man was a part of my little world for nearly 20 years, and he and my sister had 2 beautiful children together, who I love to no end. But their marriage was anything but good and he was about as far from Ward Cleaver as a person can get.  He abused her physically and rarely did a good turn for the kids, though he always had an excuse for his behavior.

 I've been bouncing back and forth all week from relief for them, to a pity that the man never had a chance to step up for them and change himself.

  I feel guilt when any kind of sympathy at his passing pops up, like I'm being disloyal somehow to my sister, which is stupid because she has been a mess, but I can't help feeling that way regardless. Is it wrong to feel sympathy for someone who inflicted so much pain on someone I love?  

 What strange creatures we are.