Same, but different

This weekend was one of those eye openers for me. Having Brenden have a taste of how I grew up and hearing his prospective was so good for me. Mike and I discussed it some over dinner on Saturday and Mike had me laughing. He said how that he does not like that Brenden is going through what he is, but knowing Brenden it will be good for him to help him grow and he is a good kid with a great head on his shoulders. : ) He then went on to say our middle guy could NEVER do this because it would crush him. Soooo true because he is our guy that is hard on himself and we work soooo hard on making him stronger and it has been working and the last thing we need to do is ever do that to him. lol Now with our youngest he said we will have to make them take him for a summer because he will so let them know how it is. lol This cracked me up because again soooo beyond true.

I was feeling so sick going to my parents on Friday, but once I got there it was so different. Now I had not felt that feeling of seeing them since my 20's, but that trip stuck with my mom was a definite breaking point with me. I guess sometimes you have to go there to really get past some stuff. Anyway, I got there and they started talking about stuff and it was like they were actors in a movie. My Dad was playing his dad/grandpa part and my mom the happy I so want you to be my friend needy part. I have to say it just made me take a deep breath and think "I'm going to be ok". Heck I'm me trying to be a better me and not playing any part.

Before now I thought I saw my parents and even though I went through a lot I just thought to have a relationship with them I just have to get past it. They were that way because of things they went through and at least for me I'm working on healing instead of living in the pain. Thought I was past it because I had a pretty good relationship with them despite everything. Then I got trapped with the mom I grew up with to DE. lol I always tell my niece that when you live with crazy you have to either become it or leave it. I'm deciding to put a healthy me near it once in a while. lol It is hard to explain, but I was at my mom's yesterday and I was back to being able to be around her, but this time it was different. I wasn't just getting past, I was there, strong the adult and this time being the adult around my mom really didn't bother me instead I thought "thank you". : )

Cindy

When I was 20 I lost my best friend to cancer. I actually lost my Grandmother that I was extremely close to in Feb and then lost my best friend to cancer on Nov 1st. Will NEVER forget that day and for some reason I've been feeling her so strongly lately. There are a few songs that when I hear I only think of her and they have been coming at me a lot lately and on Sat they were coming at me in such a weird way. There are three songs I think of her the most with Hotel California, Stairway to Heaven and Skid Rows 18 and Life. The Skid Row song was just a silly one we loved and would blast in our store we worked at when ever it played on the radio. This one always makes me smile when I hear because I think of running back and turning it up and then her and I singing it loud in the store with customers and all. : ) The other two are my serious ones though. They are the ones I think of her and cry with. The day she passed to me was like a twilight zone episode. I will never ever forget my car ride into work. Now at the time I was still really upset with my grandmother's death and with my best friend really sick so all my friends unknown to me had a plan on telling me together when she did pass. However on this day no that knew her was in the store and were not able to get to the store in time to make things ok by the time they found out. Anyway, while I was driving into work I kept seeing her in my backseat and I had this sick feeling. When Cin started getting sick she could not drive because of meds and I drove her to and from work a lot. One time I will never forget because she was very out of it on meds I joked with her and asked where my hat was. She started saying cheerio James because she was always driven. lol Anyway, she really started looking for a hat and started to get upset saying I can't find your hat. I told her don't worry that it is ok. That afternoon when I saw her in the backseat she had on a chauffeurs hat. I just knew and when I walked into the store everyone just looked at me as I walked into the back. Now this day our district manager was there. A different one from when Cin was there and this person did not know her. I was white and felt sick and the district manager just looked at me and said " I guess you know Cindy died". I fainted straight to the ground. That is how I found out. When I came to again my dm told me to take a few hours off, come back at 4 so you can close the store. The only person that was to come in to close with me was the only other employee that knew Cin. I normally would of switched and did something since I was assit manager, but the dm refused to allow me to change a thing. I just told EVERYONE that if Jen got there before me to NOT tell her anything that I would because I did not want her to hear like I did. We listened to a classic rock station in the store, always had. That night Jen came in and saw I looked a mess, but did not know why. When everyone left and we had no customers I sat her down and told her and the radio started to play Stairway to Heaven. We cried and cried off and on all night. I swear they played that song like three times that night. One time it played and Jen and I both just sat on the floor and cried and we had a customer ask if we were ok. She was the only one that did that whole night and I swear she cleared out the store for us. lol The other song is Hotel California because the last big thing we did before she got really sick was go to a Don Henley concert. The concert was full of older people that just sat there and did nothing, but Cin and I enjoyed ourselves. Dirty Laundry came on and we stood up and danced and Hotel California played and we swayed back and forth with our lighters in the air. We just had fun and did not care. No one else stood, but oh well. lol I always think of us embraced swaying back and forth whenever I hear that song. I LOVE that song. Cin was my best friend that we shared disfunction and getting through. We had this dream of just taking off and living on an island selling shell necklaces to tourist without any care in the world. lol Well, I usually go through periods of thinking about her at least once a yr, usually around Nov 1st. This time it started Fri night. I was on fb and someone posted some psyc thing about Stairway to Heaven. It was this deep indepth thing on it and I swear every word I read went in one ear and out the other and all I can think was to me it just makes me think of my best friend. Then on Sat we went to Tin Lizzies and my friend told me this song creeps me out. I had to stop and listen to what the song was because I did not even know yet and it was Hotel California. I said I love this song and she went on to explain why it creeped her out and how that it is about they are trapped and can never leave and in my head I just kept thinking I just love it because I think of Cin. Then I get home and chill with my hubby and he stops on the movie "the song that stays the same" by Led Zeppelin. I had never saw this before so when they play Stairway to Heaven I just say WTH and explain. lol I just told him what was strange is this time they are all coming to me with some psyc meaning and explaining and all I think no it is just Cin. Still have no clue. lol Other than nope just Cin. <3

Balance

For a while now I've been getting lots of things telling me balance. Well, I was getting them and then a trip with my mother threw me far off balance and as far too many have seen with this blog it is not a pretty sight. lol For me the world is a wondrous, beautiful place that gives you messages all the time if you just stop and listen. I do have to admit I see them sometimes whether I like it or not. If I don't and ignore I usually end up with the cosmic 2 x 4 which I'm going through now. HATE the cosmic 2 x 4 and so wish I listened, but oh well sometimes you just need that push and with this I did.

This weekend was so bizarre. Thursday night was a rough one for me. Kind of fell apart and then on Friday I had to venture to my folks to pick up my oldest. I felt like I was 18 again and sick to my stomach and terrified. That day my son told me how my father was acting and it had him a mess. I had to be there for my son seeing a grandfather he had never known, but a father I very much knew. I'm just thankful it was to a much lesser extent of what I had to go through growing up. I apologized to him because I felt so bad he was going through that and I had always worked very hard for him not to go through those things. He in turn told me that it was fine that he is glad because it put a lot of things in perspective and that he now understands things a lot better. He loved me, was thankful I was his Mum and that he was sorry for what I had gone through. In turn that put things in perspective for me because he saw almost nothing. I survived both picking him up and dropping him off and learned lots during the weekend. Starting to feel some balance return thank goodness. lol Right now I don't feel like so much a mixed up jigsaw puzzle but more like one that has it's pieces in place, but not together. Trying to get the courage up to start putting those pieces together. Still have a few place that are still a bit jumbled, but not as overwhelming as before.

Had a few talks with my hubby and he is starting to understand. I realize that I really don't show the impact of things. Most of the time I just keep on keeping on and all that for years has caught up to me. To my family though I'm happy and helping so they don't get it when all of the sudden it has gotten to me. Mike and I went out to dinner on Sat night. We went to my fav Chinese restaurant. He has been suggesting that a lot lately which is what he does to help me when he thinks I'm sad and does not know what to do because he knows I LOVE chinese food. We sat behind a dad and his daughter. Mike had his back right up to them their whole meal and when they got up to leave he gave the guy a look. I thought it was because of the way the guy looked. He was one of those guys that worked out, but did it wrong so his body looked off so I said that yeah he is built strange. Mike's like "no it wasn't that I just feel really bad for his daughter". I asked why and he said that the whole meal he just belittled her and told her how she is doing everything wrong. The little girl was about 9 and just sat eating with her head down the whole meal. I in turn said I was that little girl and it only got worse as I got older and restaurants were great places for that because they can talk and talk and you can't react because you were in public. Many things like that happened this weekend and it made me realize even more how amazing our universe is. Because of things that have happened in Mike's life he is very much the type that is like yeah that stinks, but dwelling on it does not help so move on. For him I understand he has to, but for me not so much. For me I'm the type that obviously it does not work because I did that for a long time and I'm right back to the beginning. Well, same issue but stronger me thank goodness. For me it also isn't dwelling it is working through and fixing.

A time for me......

Many of my friends have been saying it is your time. Heck even my astrologer friend had it in my birthday chart reading. lol Said it was my time to shine and be heard. I look at things and my life and realize I do everything so others don't have to go through what I did. Heck even doing this without talking to my hubby because I don't want to stress him. I always tell myself I'll tell him on the weekend so that if he can get his sleep and then on the weekend don't because I want him to be able to relax on his time off. Now I know deep down he so would not want this and would hate to think I'm going through this without him, but I keep doing it. In between all this crazy post and falling apart in my room or late at night while the kiddos are asleep I'm playing, cuddling and teaching my kids. Seriously just took a silly face break and listened to the ocean in some sea shells with my four yr old. Actually, I think that is more for me than him. lol He is very much my seize the day kiddo and reminds me that I must of done something right. After all this time of always thinking of others and how to teach them, support and guide them by looking at their needs I don't know how to finally look at mine. I don't know even where to begin really. I do in little ways I guess. I took the baby step of volunteering at the aquarium, but now I'm realizing that was only a baby step because it helped fill a love I have, but did not fix the reason I did not go there before. Kind of bypassed that step and am being forced to deal with it now. lol I have to say taking that first step for me is so beyond scary. The more I think about it the more I realize that helping others does not mean forgetting oneself. I guess with having a mom that just does things for herself makes you fearful of going there, but actually to be healthy you need a balance and I need to start evening out this beam so I can actually be there more so for my kiddos. : ) Ok that is so easy to say, now I must do! lol

each one for a reason

I feel your kids pick you as parents. I must of needed some major lessons learned and I feel like all my biggies are coming to a head at one time now. Have no idea why they are all determined to come at once, but I will make it through, I have to. For me at least I find that my best teachers are my children. I sometimes think that they teach me far more than I teach them. I'm grateful that I see it because I see so many that don't. Right now with my oldest I'm finding lots of my words coming back at me and him telling me thank you. That feels so good and it is nice to know he was actually listening. lol I have to say though he is my deal with it now kid. lol He is very much a no bs kind of person and reminds me often in his little way. Well, I don't think all of this is coming to a head as he is going to his next phase is just a coincidence. Sooooo wish I listened a little better because maybe this would not be so bad. lol It is funny now that I think about it because he is the reason I got my parents back after all that time. I was a young mom in a HORRIBLE marriage. When I saw my son in danger I got out. I was so strong for him and he never had to experience any abuse because I fought for him. I did this by going back to my parents. I was only 22 and I wanted my son to have a family so I did it for him. At first it was hard and my mom and I did not get along, but after a while I learned how to have a relationship with her. I have to say it filled a need for me too, I had parents. I think that is what is coming to a head now. I cling so hard to anyway I can get them because I'm so afraid of not having them again even if it is dysfunctional.

As I write this I'm also texting my oldest, my teacher. lol He is living with my parents right now actually because he is interning at his grandfather's office. I have told him little stories of my childhood, nothing bad really, but just bit and bobs. Anyway, this morning he told me that my dad on the way to work told him that he is making a horrible decision with his life by going to college in Portland went on and on why it was horrible and belittled everything he told him and then said that he would not help him in anyway to get him there if he needed it. I know it upset Brenden, but instead of going there with him he stood his ground. He admitted to me he is scared to death of this next step in his life, but so excited too. I'm so proud of him for being so strong, my father is VERY intimidating especially when he feels things going out of his control. After some back and forth for a bit he said that he just got back from his grandfather's office where my father apologized and told him that he will be there for him. Wow, he stood his ground and still has his grandfather. Another lesson from my kiddo. lol Funny how that was actually happening while I typed the above.

On the positive side

I do have to say one of the things that I have learned from my up bringing that I am most thankful for is how I mother. I'm the type of mom that does not see my kids acting up and say "what is wrong with them, they are driving me nuts." Or think they are ever bad kids, but rather what is wrong that they are behaving that way. Now don't get me wrong they do drive me nuts sometimes, but with my kids when I see them doing things or acting out I ask why. Why are they acting this way and what do I need to do to help them through it. This is something I soooooooo wished someone would of asked about me on soooo many occasions so I find it important to do it for them. I do have to say it works too and I love watching them learn and grow and become the amazing boys they are, yep I'm a very proud mom. : )

Friends

I always heard and noticed that you attract and are around friends that you are most like. Have to admit that sometimes I wonder why I have some of the friends I have and what brought us together. You know like what is that common denominator besides being mom's kind of thing. Then yesterday a good friend of mine reached out because of this blog and recommended a book that she had just read and thought it could help me too. The book is called Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Karyl McBride. This made me start to think about a lot, not all, but a lot of my friends and I think I'll be either recommending and or lending this book out a lot. lol

I have to admit I'm not a big self help reader and when I first read the title I was thinking that I don't think that way because I know I'm a good person. Then I started thinking about it and there is a fine line in knowing and trying to prove. I ordered the book.

Slicing through the onion

Forest Gump described life as a box of chocolates. Which I do totally agree with because life is usually lots of wonderful surprises, with a not so tasty one thrown in once in a while. Don't get me wrong I may be a mess, but I know also how very blessed I am. For me though I'm more of a Shriek kind of person. lol I love how he describes himself as an onion. For years I've described different lessons I go through in life as an onion. Lessons are layers just like in an onion and sometimes you deal with thin layers, sometimes the reg layers and sometimes you get dealt with those huge chunky layers. I was thinking last night that I am dealing with one of those big chunky ones right now and then it hit me that maybe I'm just slicing right through that onion revealing so many layers. Now at first that really bothered me because I just want to get through this big chunky one and go on to something easier. Then today it hit me as I was crying. That it makes sense that today I'm crying because I just sliced through that onion. lol I exposed so many layers and even if that is scary and seems like just scraping the surface it is also making it easier to finally get rid of some major layers. Maybe slicing through that onion isn't such a bad thing after all. ; )

Picking up the pieces

So yesterday I was empowered and writing away and today I'm a mess. lol When deciding to do this I decided I had to be honest with what I was going through which for me is HUGE and scary. I'm the type that will tell you the details no prob. Yep this and that happened to me, I'm managing and getting through, It's all good. My good friends know that when I say "it's all good" that is code for I'm a mess. lol See this is a side of me I show NO ONE. I've been trying and learning so much in the last few years and have gone through a lot, but my safety net is being there for everyone else. Easy way to put off doing the REALLY hard part of fixing me. lol Even when my good friends see the "It's all good" and call to see I still give them the facts kind of thing. I have this HUGE fear of going beyond that and saying all I'm feeling and all of me. Last time I did that was to my mom and we know how that worked out. So weird how one moment in time can change you. So from here on out I have decided to try and let that wall come down some. Been trying for years, but for the first time I feel it starting to give thus the tears.

Grateful and Thankful with a little nausea on the side

Today was a big day for me and starting this blog. I have tried this type of thing before, but never went further than the first page and no post. For me at least I have found that I can know and be told things, but unless I'm ready I don't "really" hear it. I think I'm ready, listening, learning and healing right now at least with this lesson. I'm so thankful that everyone is so welcoming to me and my journey, but also a bit nauseous because some have known me for many years and never knew.

I was just reminded by a person that I always seem to learn from by her quotes and such some more little bits of wisdom. She reminded me by writing that "When we point a finger at someone else, three of our fingers point back at ourselves! Blame leads to resentment, and resentment is a heavy load to bear. The objective of life is to stop dragging our baggage around like a dead elephant with an old rope. Life is too short not to be happy!!!" lol So obvious and so true yet so hard to see in yourself when you hurt. So beyond grateful to be getting rid of that dead elephant which I have to say is my new favorite expression. Everyone always says it is the big elephant in the room that everyone is trying to pretend isn't there, but if you think about it is so the big dead elephant you are dragging around because for the people involved it never really leaves you and just makes you sicker the longer you decide to drag it.

Blame should be a four letter word

Another thing I've been pondering a lot the last few days is Blame. I know very well how much it hurts to have this thrust upon you. I was blamed for many things by my mother because she did not want to take any at all. I do have to admit I'm not perfect and have screwed up a bunch in my life, but am working very hard at learning from those mistakes. I also have to say I have many times blamed my mom for not being there and saying and doing the wrong things, but now I'm at a place of how is that working for me. lol Hate that I just quoted Dr. Phil, but it is true. Yes, those things did happen to me, but seriously how does blaming help anything? The more I look at blame the more I realize it kind of freezes me at that point and gives an escape clause on figuring out how to get past. Yep, the getting past is the hard part because you also have to look at you. I'm proud to now be at a point to say "yeah, that was crappy and should not of had to go through it, but now lets get on with the healing."

knowing the problem is only half the battle

Ok so for years I have realized that having a relationship with my parents is not going to be a supportive emotional type so I took what I could get. Now for them that is supportive financially. I know many would see this as not being an issue, but I have noticed by giving in to that need to have them support me in any way they can I gave up my power in that dept. Not a good thing when you want to be self supportive that way. I know for years I have struggled with this. Fear that if I don't have them this way I just won't have them in anyway. I know in the back of my head this helping out was filling this need for parenting in anyway I could get, but now I see what I had done and am ready to go into that uncharted waters and find a new relationship with my parents without the fear of not having them in anyway. My issue now is how? The funny thing is the more I dive into this unchartered territory the more love I find for my parents and for myself. I think the more I heal and learn the more I realize how lucky I am to be the person I am. My mom right now is sooooo fearful that I will blame her for things way back when that she is starting on the nasty talk. At first I will admit this took me back and brought lots of fear out for me, but now I feel so strong for me and so sad for her. How awful a life must be that you are so fearful of being wrong that you must make everyone out to be against you. I have always been honest with my kids when I mess up. I'm human and I'm sorry I tell them and then I add I will try to do better next time because you deserve the best mom possible. To me that is a great lesson for them because I never want them to feel they have to be perfect, but keep trying to be your best. I'm seeing now more and more how much I learned from my mom. I think I am the mom I am today because of her and I think I'm a pretty good mom. Now just to get past this other crap. lol

some background

It is funny, you go through life a lot of times thinking been there done that and go on with things. Then one day all of the sudden it hits you like a ton of bricks and you are right back where you were when you were 16 and trauma happens. Well, at least that is what it feels like, but you aren't. I think things like this happen for a reason. At 16 when all that was happening you weren't ready to deal with it or did not have the support of tools to deal with it. Now 20 something years later and lots of learning and growing life tells you you are ready and bam you have to. lol That is where I am today. Life is amazing that way. When I was 16 I was raped. For me it was a date rape. I drank too much, passed out on the couch and wham. Now this would of been hard enough to get past and in my messed up 16 yr old head was horrified because I was always told you were a bad girl if you ever had sex with anyone that you did not love so I made myself fall in love with the guy. Made it ok in my head at the time. Went with him for a year and suffered through abuse the whole relationship. Kept that whole part quiet because of fear of not being a good girl and now mom adores the boyfriend so all is good at least on the outside. Then I get a wake up call. What woke me up finally was him accusing me of cheating on him. I put up with all his abuse and he accused me of cheating on him. Don't know why that woke me up, but I was thankful and got out. Now I'm a good girl so I would never cheat. Now time goes on I get a new boyfriend who was sweet and nice. Mom is mad because she adored the other guy and feels betrayed by me. I finally in a very now 17 yr old way told her what the "perfect" guy did. In turn my mother told me I was an alcoholic whore and how could I do this to her. Needless to say I did not know how to react to this. I have gone through about every emotion and reaction to this through the years and still to this day have NEVER told her how this hurt me and how this one moment in time shaped me. I went through life trying to get my mom. You know the one that helps and is not sooooo afraid to take any blame that she puts it on everyone else in order not to look at herself. I suffered through her telling people all over how I was a horrible person. Would be stopped in restrooms by strangers telling me that they wanted me to know that my mom was saying horrible things about me and all I could do was cry and think "but I'm a good girl". Never did drugs, rarely drank ~ learned that one the hard way and was always trying to help others. So I went through life, had children of my own and learned many things. I learned how to be the best mom I can be and to go on with my life. Then one day I have a young girl I'm very close to come to me with many of the same experiences and help her through it. Think the whole time what I would of needed and was there for her in that way. Now I'm talking years of being there and helping, guiding and supporting and now I see she can see the light and has made it out the other end and is doing sooooooooo well. I however mourn what I never had and am having to deal with what I never have. So this is where I am which feels very much like finally picking up the pieces of a mixed up jigsaw puzzle and putting it together and with a little work I know it is going to be an amazingly beautiful picture. : ) So thankful for so many things that make me strong enough to do this including my very loving husband. <3 So basically this is my blog. It is going to be my everyday battle of finally speaking up for me. I seemed to have lost my voice that day when I was 17 and this is my journey to get it back.