Motherhood is a trip . . . are we there yet?
I’m four days away from my foot surgery, and I feel very small. My husband and, surprisingly, my mother-in-law are fussing over what I’ll need, but my flesh and blood relatives don’t seem very interested. I really don’t want much. I hate having people around me when I’m recovering from something, in fact, but it…
A few weeks ago, I sent my formerly troubled teen turned estranged adult daughter a text to let her know her yoga membership that I’d been paying for would expire at the end of the month. After being ignored about everything else, it was just a one liner stating the facts. There was no emotion…
Where am I today? In some ways, I’m in a very good place with my relationship with each daughter. My older daughter and I have gotten back to our close bond and even took a trip together recently. It was the first time I’d seen her since Mothers Day weekend, eight months ago. We used…
You’ve gotta be kidding me. I thought I was on an upswing with my older daughter after a few agonizing months of silence. Starting with my birthday a few weeks ago, we’d been texting back and forth, and it was, if nothing else, pleasant. It seemed we were on the mend from the setup in…
I’ve always loved going to counseling, but in the past few years I haven’t had any luck connecting. I also just had general issues that I couldn’t exactly identify. I wasn’t clinically depressed or anxious, I wasn’t grieving, my marriage wasn’t on the rocks, and I wasn’t facing a health or substance abuse crisis. I…
As I’ve written before, I’ve joined a Facebook group for estranged parents. There are a LOT of members, mostly mothers, and this is only one group of many to join. I took a look at the members list, and while there were a number of local people who were friends of friends, I didn’t know…
It’s now been four and a half months since my younger daughter has spoken a single word to me, and other than a weird phone call, three months for my older daughter. I’ve joined some Facebook groups for people experiencing estrangement and, while it provides some comfort knowing that I’m not alone, my membership doesn’t…
Dear girls, I hope this letter finds you both healthy, happy, and thriving, wherever your individual and collective paths are taking you. This isn’t meant to intrude, nor to ask anything of you, but simply to reach out with honesty as your mother. I’m sending this message to both of you on purpose. Maybe you’ll…
Time is moving fast, and I don’t know where to go. I’m literally lost. I thought by now I’d have come to terms with my new fate, but I’m falling deeper and deeper into a confused depression. I don’t know what to do or who to turn to. My husband is a good listener, but…
Though I’m getting used to the silence, I must admit, my heart is still broken. You wouldn’t know it by my words or how I manage to navigate my days, but the heaviness is always there. One day last week, it was literal. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack, but it was…