You Spot It–You Got It

You spot it, you got it….

I was thinking of how I am most irritated by subtle little behaviors in which I assume to know the motivation…so arrogant.   And the flip side of that coin is that I am deeply touched by small gestures and behaviors that I assume to know the motivation. The truth of this is, if I recognize a behavior as having meaning, it is because it is familiar and I relate, whether it is good or bad. When I see the good in people, that is the good in me that I am connecting with. When I judge people, that is my judgment for my own attitudes and behaviors that need work.

My sister, who is desperate to be in charge of my destiny, is always pointing out whom she believes to be gay, needing a man, angry, needy, or overly sensitive. She illuminates these things as if she is a brilliant soothsayer and well above being possessing any of those dreadful things.  I wonder if wearing all white every day and cringing at the idea of sex with your husband makes you feel as if you are a lady, full of grace.  I love wearing black and having sex with my boyfriend!!  what does that make me?  Self-actualization is my only real goal and so far, my greatest achievement.

I notice with her, that anytime she is preparing for a night out or an event, she sends me pics asking if she looks like a weird desperate dyke….no joke. I finally just reduced it to WDD. Now I suspect her greatest need is to appear normal, not needing, and straight. I love rolling up to dinners in a cammo jacket with greasy pixie and no make up to announce I am rockin’ the WDD. Though I am straight, I would, just to be subversive, be thrilled to announce that I was an unashamed lesbian. Anyway, You spot it, you got it—

House of Cards

My friend, my hero, my badass partner in recovery has shared how her sister was collectively, not only abused, but also blamed for bringing it on herself by being so difficult—by being who she was, wrong at a cellular level.  What my friend learned quite young; “If I want people to be kind to me and to be okay, I must be and do the opposite of my sister.”

My sister gained similar traction off my intense reactions and feelings, my sensitivity, and fierce need to express myself at all costs. I have now learned  to manage myself in ways that are more protective, particularly with those who choose shaming and blaming as a means to elevate and themselves and forge bonds.  Over re-acting to even the most foul advances cost me everything.

I think my sister panicked when I returned after 25 years, to help with my mother, now in possession of myself, my ex, my children and very firm boundaries, with the ability to resist baiting/ jumping into the ring to help her prove her rightness and betterness, with a dramatic or intense reaction.  If pushing off of those parts of who I was, is all she had to gain stature, I see why she feels unearthed and has become willing to say and do whatever it takes to cling to her title of ” better than me”, just by being not me.   Because, now, I am doing well, in spite of initiatives, that years ago would have made me crumble—after over reacting and getting judged and dismissed.

I think her fixation with my ex-husband, at my boys’ and my mother’s expense is the best she can do– and absolute proof only of her own sense of unworthiness. My sister has done the unthinkable to me and gotten away with it.  Again.  What if….just what if now, as a sane person, without drama shared the truth…of who she is and what she likes.  What then?  My recovery buddy also shared that similar things happened in her home.  Sharing is badass healing and 100% freeing.  I feel sadness for those who never get to experience  the magic of that sort of connection to God, themselves, and others.  They continue suffering and hurting others until they learn a better way.

Fools Rush In

Because my mother is physically and mentally unwell, 84, and in the hospital, I am feeling twisted up inside, as if I should DO something. There is nothing for me to do at this time. My efforts to heal and build trust or connection are either swatted away like a pesky gnat or they go unacknowledged.  I guess swats and dismissals are an improvement from being blasted with heavy artillery of character assasination and accusations of how I deserve abuse or am unworthy of kindness.  This is progress. (more…)

Painful Dynamics- Repair or Release

My mother is in the hospital today having cancerous masses removed.  My sister whom I have not spoken to since May emailed the information to me.  I responded with a “Thanks for the update”  and signed with the little red heart emoji and an “m”.  My gut response was to be cold but polite…but then I remembered, that is not who I am.  I am vulnerable and want something better in my mother’s lifetime for all of us.  I am not closed off, shut down or absent.  Just very clear about what hurts too much to engage in.  Vulnerability kicks ass.  They lack a desire to heal with me and yet I show up again and again.  “I am here, to heal with you, if you ever choose to do so.”  Vulnerability is where I live, anything else feels like death.  I am grateful for enough recovery to have congruity and consistency in all of my communication.  I expect nothing different from them.  At the end of the day, I sleep easier, knowing I offered, ad nauseum, to create something better and less destructive for us all.

As I see it, there are two sane choices–Repair or Release.  Repair is my first choice.  But so long as they opt for the hurtful workaround of seeing my sons, via collaboration and commune with my ex-husband, release may be our only option.  Family recovery matters to me more than my mother’s recovery from cancer.  I, of course, prefer both.  But if I had to choose, I would take a few connected months of loving each other, over years more of NOT–I mean love, the verb.

Submission is for Jiu-Jitsu and Other Stuff

Recovery has taught me that I must be flexible with my approach or method but not with my needs and principles(which are static-not dynamic).  When I flex on my principles or needs, I get bent out of shape.  When I do not flex on my methods, I get bent out of shape.  Being mindful of when it is time to flex and time to stand strong is key.  As a spiritually maturing person,getting to know myself; my needs are no longer preferences and desires that I hope for others to fulfill or validate. My needs are determined by me and not available as a matter for debate.  In work, love, and friendship, I have the luxury of choosing proximity to those who are mature and respectful enough to accept this.  This has been a deal breaker for my family of origin, who treats me as if my values do not exist or  matter or that I owe it to them to put myself aside for the sake of their preferences.  Now placing all of my faith and trust in a power greater than them myself, prohibits my submission to them.  I will reserve submission for Jiu Jitsu and “other stuff”  hehehe!♥

Not being strong-armed or shamed into abandoning myself has made me a whole person.  Being whole is wholesome and only for badasses.  Strong-arming and shaming is for a different kind of “hole”–A-hole!  Very amused with self today.  I think I will copy this drawing into my altered book later, but probably not “perfectly”.  The shapes seem simple enough.  Right?  Thanks for being here!

Moving On is Acceptance

Without spiritual recovery, I would still be trying to MAKE people, places and things be different from how they are.  Irresponsible, childish, and damaging; attempting to be a God of sorts-very unwholesome, this I am unlearning and changing.  In spiritual recovery, I am maturing emotionally, learning to accept the things I cannot change and to change the things I can.  I cannot change a person’s behavior or attitude anymore than I can change the weather.  However, I still have choices about where I place myself and to whom and what I get close to.  I will accept that you “do/say  that” and that it hurts me.  Not a problem to solve; an unpleasant fact to accept.

For me acceptance does not begin with a feeling, it begins with me choosing behavior that demonstrates cooperation with a fact of reality, typically an unpleasant fact.  For now, acceptance is a practice.  Behaviors and attitudes are for changing, not other people.  Detachment with love is for people whom I wish all the best and whose attitudes and behaviors are disrespectful and diminishing.  I will totally love you– from over here.  You don’t have to change a thing.  You be you and I’ll be me….love that James Bay song.  Let it Go.  Letting Go is for Badasses.  White Knuckles—umm, not so much.

Be Relentless: Eliminate the Poison in Your Life

We are not at fault, crazy, or wrong. We have a right to set boundaries and to insist on appropriate treatment. We
can separate another’s issues from our issues, and let the person experience the consequences of his or her own behavior, including guilt. We can trust ourselves to know when our boundaries are being violated.  Taken from Melody Beattie’s  The Language of Letting Go.

SAYing “GOODBYE!” TO TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS BEHAVIOR:   Being spoken to in ways that are meant to demean me is something, that as an adult, I have a choice about. This is a boundary I can not flex on. Recovery has taught me that by accepting shaming, bullying hostility, I am participating in my own abuse.  Sadly, my mother and sister feel entitled to abuse me and so long as I have this boundary, there will be no contact, without the offer of something different and better, respectful. Anyone repeatedly and righteously speaking and behaving in ways intended to diminish or dominate me gets space. I model self-love for my children. Sadly, I might otherwise stay in the ring fighting for my rights and continuing participation in the dysfunction.Big Open Heart, Big Fucken Fences

Recognizing the mental illness and untreated addiction that contributes to this dynamic, allows me to forgive my abusers but still does not make it wise or safe to return for more. The separation is slightly less painful than the abusive entanglement. I think that, to abusers, a boundary  feels like a rejection of them. It is a rejection of abuse.  If ever there is reason to expect something better, I am there. 100%.  I show up for love!  Big Open Heart.  Big Fucken Fences—Forevvvuh

Love is Compromise–Not Submission

In our family, we have each been struggling with near constant unmet needs, and so we gathered around our lil table and are in agreement; we must work together- rather than begging, demanding, resenting, not having OUR WAY.  OUR family meeting allowed us to acknowledge our unique and often conflicting needs, commit openly to asking nicely for what we need,  and to accept no or “not right now” as an answer.   We also agree that compromising-doing a thing that is not our first personal priority is the right thing, at times…No need for secret contracts with cryptic and passive messaging systems.  We are committing to being honest, open and willing;  and being accountable to love.  This is how we will do love.

S1(age 10) needs lots of space to read and just be free from stimulus and engagement—and enjoys lengthy conversations about matters of his choosing on his terms and timing, usually when we are trying to transition in or out of the house or car.

S2(age 8.5) needs near constant engagement with big movements and sounds.

I need to work, clean, make food, have quiet time, exercise and play time.

S2 added our dogs’ needs to the list: Cooper needs to get food(always hungry) Golden needs to walk with Cooper (together of course) For S2, everything is better together! He is such a lover and connector, fun, happy, friendly, playful, totally present and unbothered by most things.

We made our list together and discussed what we will do to make it better for each and all of us. Because if we each work only toward getting what we want, we all lose- frustrated and resentful.  Here are the solutions we have each agreed to:

S2 will offer to play with S1 sometimes and say yes sometimes, even if it is not his first choice, at least once daily.  S1 will give S2 space when it is clear he is too uncomfortable to engage in a way that is fun.  I will say yes to Jiu Jitsu and games of catch more, even when I have not done all of what I feel I need to “get done”. We will work together to serve our furry family members.  S1 and S2 are now aware of the option to sometimes let me finish something before asking for the next thing.

This is almost like a fairy tale.  No?  Honest, Open, and Willing is so badass and wholesome.  I am grateful this is H.O.W. we get to do things in this family.  I will post our hand written, honey smeared document/constitution on our fridge to remind us HOW to do our parts.♥

Courage and Compassion-but first self esteem!

Just before relocating to this coast, I was graced with one uniquely precious relationship which offered my rebirth into MY world. This man, whom we shall call Pete, was the first person,ever, in my life to authentically invite and encourage my full expansion and to embrace the things that make me, me.  Encouraging me-to ask for what I like and say no to what I don’t:  food, touching, topics, outings, whatever. (more…)

I Am Your Biggest Fan- I Am Your Mother

Me to S1, who is losing his shit over irritating behavior of S2:  S1, Is it possible you are over re-acting?  S2 is being insensitive, AND maybe your reaction could be less intense?

S1: It is possible.

We are learning to gradually feel and acknowledge our feelings rather than going straight to reactive anger and escalation. I relate and am not unaware of how much abusers can get away with when their target’s over-the-top reaction steals all attention away from any unfairness which is taking place. Saying “ouch” or “stop”  incorrectly comes with a big ticket.

Random Treasured Exchanges:

S1: Mommy, What will you make for dinner tonight?

Me: How about grilled shrimp?

S1 with genuine joy in his voice:  Yay. Your shrimp are tasty!  Are they the large or the small ones?

Me: Large, of course

S1:  Sigh of peace♥

I treasure his choice of  the word “tasty”.  His uniqueness and innocence are brilliant!

Before school, Me to S2:  Time to brush teeth

S2:  Ok

Me, 15 minutes later, teeth still unbrushed:  How is that tooth-brushing going? (Translation AYFKM-do it already)

S2: I am still processing.

Me: Brush your effing teeth. NOW.

S2:  Ok

Kills me.  Each day, when I remember to stay present, I am better able to focus on their innocence and just be love, no matter what.  And when I am deep into future worries and rehearsals or in the past rehashing and regretting, I miss out on much of their magic.  I love waking them gently in the morning and reading them to sleep.  That they love it too makes my heart feel something like achey, though maybe not best word.  It is just immense and miraculous-perhaps joy.  My sons are 100% Wholesome and Badass.  Courageous, Honest, Caring, Faithful, and funny as shit!