Its so hard to be a single parent especially when strangers feel the need to intervene when you are setting boundaries in oublic. My 7 year old wanted chocolate at a Walgreens this afternoon. My answer was repeatedly and consistently "NO" with a "and that is final" following the last NO. The cashier felt the need to butt in and say "Oh a little chocolate never hurt anyone". Really, lady? Do you really think it is necessary for you to interfere with my parenting and not only convey to my children that it is ok for them to disrespect their mother but also that they should question me? Oh the nerve of some people! I gave her the stare down stink eye to which she immediately shut up and avoided eye contact.
I never would have chosen the single mother route but unfortunately, life steps in and chooses for us. Its hard trying to lay boundaries and rules along with morals and examples in this world by yourself. I have no back-up. I cannot use the threat that my mother used one me- "Just wait til your father gets home". Its all me. And to have someone try to undermine what I have worked so hard the past two years to build by myself really pisses me off!
People are so quick to criticize. but if they had to walk the past two years in my shoes a majority of them would not have made it as far as I have. Don't criticize single parents or any parent for that matter. No one is perfect and there is no such thing as the perfect parent. My child forgot about that chocolate as soon as we hit the highway and my boundaries were still held strong. So,Walgreen's lady, stick to your job responsibilities and don't try to be Oprah with a scanner. Please and thank you.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
stuck and sleepy
Can't sleep lately. I go thru periods of where I am exhausted to days where I am fine with three to four hours of sleep. I went sleep this morning at 5 am and was up by 930...
I want to clean everything in my path, throw out stuff I am not using or cannot wear. But I cannot bring myself to go thru his things and weed them out. It would be like throwing a part of him out. I would love the closet space but every familiar piece of clothing is just too painful to part with. So its tucked away in plastic boxes taking up space never to be worn by him again. I thought about having quilts made for the children but I don't know... I told him that it was okay to go but I still haven't let go. And I'm stuck between wanting to hold onto what I had and wanting to move forward in hopes of experiencing sometype of love again.
I want to clean everything in my path, throw out stuff I am not using or cannot wear. But I cannot bring myself to go thru his things and weed them out. It would be like throwing a part of him out. I would love the closet space but every familiar piece of clothing is just too painful to part with. So its tucked away in plastic boxes taking up space never to be worn by him again. I thought about having quilts made for the children but I don't know... I told him that it was okay to go but I still haven't let go. And I'm stuck between wanting to hold onto what I had and wanting to move forward in hopes of experiencing sometype of love again.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
UGH...trying to fight a migraine and write this blog because I just feel the need to. Its been a year since my last entry and so much has happened. I graduated, have a great job, met some great people and weeded some old negative ones out. Life is change.
I miss him. I look thru his pictures and I can still feel how his skin felt. I can visually trace his jawline in his pictures and physically remember how his stubble felt under my fingertips. I hear his voice saying certain things- my name, the kids name, I love you, don't forget me, you deserve to be loved....All these memories I live with-good, bad, funny, horrifying. I think about more than I forget.
Randy's death involved so many emotions. Love, anger, devastation, betrayal, stupidity, jealousy. Most of all lies. So many people said to me in the receiving line- if there is anything we can do for you; we will keep in touch; blah blah blah... Guess what? Its two years later and I still haven't heard from these people since that day! And you know what else I hated hearing? "He is in a better place" Well no shit Sherlock Don't you think I know that? Why do you think I am grieving? He is gone! He is not here! People think these words are comforting but they aren't! I wasn't halfway thru the line of people and I wanted to scream so bad- "Just shut the hell up with your damn he is in a better place! Half you people weren't even around the past 10 years!!!!" But, no, I had to be the good widow and hold myself up. My children were watching me. And if there is anything they should remember from that day it should be that no matter how bad you feel inside you stand straight up and you look your fear in the eye and you move forward. Don't let it break you. Their daddy deserved to be laid to rest in the most respectful and honorable way. It wasn't about me that day.
But now it is about me. I didn't need those people who I never heard from again. I remember sitting by Randy's hospital bed those last few days. He kept apologizing to me over and over. I kept telling him to stop saying that. He told me something that I have never forgotten. He said that people were "going to try and take advantage of me and that they are going to gang up on me and say things to hurt me." He said I needed to move forward in life, go back to school, and when they started on me with their lies and hatefulness to look at them and say "F* 'em all". Family doesn't mistreat you but then like one of his sisters told me before he died- I was never family and blood is thicker than water. She made sure of that.
But you know what? Life has proceeded like it should. My children and I are happy and stronger. the memories of their daddy and his love lives on in us. And we still have hard times but we cling to our faith, our true family and friends, and each other. That is family- loving, supporting, and lifting each other up.
I miss him. I look thru his pictures and I can still feel how his skin felt. I can visually trace his jawline in his pictures and physically remember how his stubble felt under my fingertips. I hear his voice saying certain things- my name, the kids name, I love you, don't forget me, you deserve to be loved....All these memories I live with-good, bad, funny, horrifying. I think about more than I forget.
Randy's death involved so many emotions. Love, anger, devastation, betrayal, stupidity, jealousy. Most of all lies. So many people said to me in the receiving line- if there is anything we can do for you; we will keep in touch; blah blah blah... Guess what? Its two years later and I still haven't heard from these people since that day! And you know what else I hated hearing? "He is in a better place" Well no shit Sherlock Don't you think I know that? Why do you think I am grieving? He is gone! He is not here! People think these words are comforting but they aren't! I wasn't halfway thru the line of people and I wanted to scream so bad- "Just shut the hell up with your damn he is in a better place! Half you people weren't even around the past 10 years!!!!" But, no, I had to be the good widow and hold myself up. My children were watching me. And if there is anything they should remember from that day it should be that no matter how bad you feel inside you stand straight up and you look your fear in the eye and you move forward. Don't let it break you. Their daddy deserved to be laid to rest in the most respectful and honorable way. It wasn't about me that day.
But now it is about me. I didn't need those people who I never heard from again. I remember sitting by Randy's hospital bed those last few days. He kept apologizing to me over and over. I kept telling him to stop saying that. He told me something that I have never forgotten. He said that people were "going to try and take advantage of me and that they are going to gang up on me and say things to hurt me." He said I needed to move forward in life, go back to school, and when they started on me with their lies and hatefulness to look at them and say "F* 'em all". Family doesn't mistreat you but then like one of his sisters told me before he died- I was never family and blood is thicker than water. She made sure of that.
But you know what? Life has proceeded like it should. My children and I are happy and stronger. the memories of their daddy and his love lives on in us. And we still have hard times but we cling to our faith, our true family and friends, and each other. That is family- loving, supporting, and lifting each other up.
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