DISQUS

Xie · 1 year ago

Our decision to move back to Ohio was extremely family motivated.

I genuinely wanted to help her. I actually thought that her "inability" to stand on her own two feet, make decisions and solve problems by herself, was a major self-esteem issue caused by years of others doing for her. I thought maybe if we could at first help her to accomplish things on her own that eventually, slowly she would gain the confidence of being able to support herself and her children. You know the saying, "Teach a man to fish......"

I offered myself as a babysitter whenever she needed at no cost, so she could go out and either a) look for a full-time job (even a temporary part-time job) or b) to get the education she needed to get a job she could support her family on. We were even considering buying the house from her so she wouldn't lose it in the divorce and help with expenses of anything the children needed so they wouldn't suffer.

I am not sure we could have given anymore of ourselves to help her. But it wasn't enough, she wanted her parents, children and the child support checks to take care of all her monetary desires, while she changes nothing in her comfortable routine. When she saw she wasn't going to get that, she made amends with a slime ball, acting as if she had no choice. She sold at least part of herself for this illusion fantasy of the easy life she had convinced herself she had earned somehow, alms. Because she wants and others might have more however hard earned it may have been. She believes she deserves a piece of everyone's pie.

Some may think I am being more than a little cruel but I have had conversations with her saying no less.

As a retort she always compares herself with me. There are only two things we share in common. The first being her son, my husband. The second, neither of us has a career. But there it ends. I spend my days digesting information, adding to a fairly wide variety of knowledge and skill sets, creating, exploring, and attempting to be a more evolved me. I am rarely idle and I know I am truly blessed. All the more now that I carry my husband's and my son. I will have the time to be there for him, to teach him, to watch him grow, and the joy of exploring with him his new world. My husband has affectionately called me a Renaissance Woman. While I do not think I deserve such a noble title, I hate when confronted with something I do not understand and admittedly become a little obsessed until it is understood to my satisfaction. I would never call my child the names I have caught her calling her own blood. I have never been worried about keeping up appearances, actually I abhor that kind of behavior. Most importantly, no matter what disagreements my son and I go through, he will always be welcome home no matter what.

creeva · 1 year ago

You will always be my renaissance woman. There is definitely a difference between you and my mother. Her short sighted sense of entitlement doesn't allow her to see it. She thinks she is equal to or better then everyone around in every way. If someone is better in some way, she thinks she deserves what they have without working for it.

I don't think your being cruel - just people on the outside can't see what we do. Expressing it and laying it out helps set the record straight. You posting your own experiences proves I'm not crazy also. Now only if I could get permission to use my sisters e-mail....