Prayer Works!
I continue ending my days by saying thank you for the blessings in my life- for each new day between the most recent indignity from my family and me. It is 
a bitter-sweet reality to be free of the dynamic. Recovery changed me at a cellular level, allowing me to unlearn things; like believing it acceptable to attack people’s personalities or character when they disturb me. What a menacing way to be in the world. I recall how I would hear a fantastic insult and mentally bookmark it for future use-100% sure that attacking and diminishing were necessary and inevitable responses to disturbance. I would find someone to blame for my discontent, talk shit about, and go after them. I forgive myself that♥ . Now that I know better, I choose to do better and to avoid those behaving in this way. As an adult, I am free to choose space from the raging of others. As a mother, it is my responsibility to model practices of recovery and serenity.
I feel positive about my consistent and repeated efforts to meet for resolution….or intent to go NO Contact with my MCR’s, who are generous with damaging words and behaviors towards me. Not gonna lie, it stings that NO Contact is preferable to resolving. I cannot recall the last time I called someone a name or tried to diminish them. Ok–I can, but I don’t feel good about it and it was more than 2 years ago and I didn’t rape him for a shared meal. I was wrong in the way in which I said what I said. My attitude was nasty and righteous. It was a work situation in which I lost my temper and I knew better and made amends later. For decades, I honestly did NOT know another way. I had family, friends, boyfriends, and a husband who all do/did this. I cant change that, but I do now avoid it. This is about healing not forgiveness, a concept I am striving to understand more deeply. Forgiving doesn’t mean I am ready to have lunch with a person who I feel abused by. It just means the bitterness doesn’t own me, anymore. Here is a little from Anne Lamott on forgiveness. She is a spiritual gangsta. I savor her every word. (more…)
While grubbing Greg’s tasty taco/nacho “NYE dinner” – for no good reason, I clicked an email notification from my mother, 
It’s not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. For those of who’ve lost family members to death or estrangement, the holidays are difficult. To cope, some drop from bridges into oncoming traffic while others soldier through with as many drinks or slices of pie as it takes, any number of ways to numb, more socially acceptable than honestly addressing the feelings and behaviors which would be a step toward healing and lasting connection. I stand in solidarity with all who feel weepy, anxious, maybe even ashamed at this time of year. Disconnection, on days in which the calendar and social media are intended as proof of connection, is difficult. I ♥