Sorting through what was mine, what was projection, and what was never real to begin with.

Golden Memories

Thank you, Joel Osteen, for a reminder that life is about making memories.  Shared experiences and connections….rather than required and posed photos with others in close proximity.  I have too many photos suggestive of good times and connection and have been often saddened that the lack of posed photos in recent years is proof of the opposite.  Truth, I hide from the camera because pictures can lie…or worse, they can tell the truth!  For OUR 2016 Thanksgiving, however, it would have been nice to have someone snapping pictures on the down-low, of us just doing our thing, laughing, playing, being who we are.  Journalistic photos are my fave.  Posing genuinely 100% pains me.  I wouldn’t mind some photos of us, in action, enjoying ourselves each other.

In addition to OUR sweet Thanksgiving Day,  today, the Sunday after Thanksgiving (maybe the start of a ritual-memory making) we decorated both Christmas Trees, while listening to COUNTRY holiday music- taking breaks to throw football, walk dogs, and eat pizza.   I experience the joy in simple moments when I am present enough to just show up.  I don’t recall too many good moments in my life.  I recall pretending but not feeling truly good, present, visible, and welcome.  For special occasions, I must ride only with those who will help me push!
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Best Day Ever

Keep It SimpleFirst mellllllllow Thanksgiving ever:  Greg and I grimaced over the 7 menu items actually requiring work, imagining the stress of those with a vision for exactly how the grand feast must be presented and received.  Probably, easier done without consideration for children and individual preferences.   We were relaxed about our “plan”, and still– managing timing the dishes to be throughly cooked and hot -at all at once, felt challenging.  S1 announced that he was “starving” before the meal was fully prepared. So, he ate his meal in courses, while S2 and Greg’s son played outside-before the official Feast time.

Greg did the turkey breast, cringing for removal, with surgical precision, each of the less nice parts.  I love that we are united in our stance about wiggly meat and yucky parts. I grilled flank steaks as my alternative to the traditional holiday meats.   A nice compliment to Greg’s turkey, the potatoes, corn pudding, stuffing, and green beans. For dessert for my team enjoyed pumpkin pie hidden beneath mountains of whipped cream, while Team Greg had Chocolate Cream Pie. Everybody got to be, do, and eat as they like. Now, that is Thanksgiving! (more…)

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Thanksgiving Thoughts for Those Contemplating No Contact

screen-shot-2016-11-24-at-7-50-32-amToday’s post is for those who are suffering; doubting their worthiness. Nothing like special occasions to revive the myth that we, the unlovable, must hustle for our worth- that there are pre-requisites for unconditional belonging and nurturing love. There are those among us who understand and embrace our responsibility to share our experience and courage to Change the Things We Can.

Holidays, birthdays, and my wedding too, were times of dread, anxiety, and despair, and of course shame for not being a more happy and light-hearted and good person. “What is her problem?” “Why does she have to ruin everything? Why must she be impossible?” “Why cant she just smile for the picture?”  Un-ironically(Is that even a word?), I knowingly entered into a marriage equally nurturing, mirroring that dynamic, which for the first 32 years of my life, made me long for death.  Call me dramatic, whatever.  This is my story.

Looking back, I see that I was ill for most occasions. Vomiting has always been my natural and given response to stress and an immense source of relief for me.  My body knows the truth–keeps the score. (more…)

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