
For the audio content for this post, please click the file above. The situation that occurred was too heavy on my heart tonight to simply write about it. I had to record it. Please know and understand, I recognize the fact that I cannot get rid of my mom–she is a total part of my life, but there will be things that will change for me to be able to continue to be around her without completely breaking down.
Her energy will have to shift. And I pray that we grow to a place where I can see that happen before one of us dies.
Take care of yourself, and be well.
trE, this is the most perfect example of boundaries, setting boundaries, protecting your energy, etc. Kudos to you for this. There are some things and/or people that you have to just let go of.
“Hell to the GD nah!” Love it.
But she ended up coming, right?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, she did not. I spent Christmas Eve at my cousins’ place for a few hours, and Christmas at my place. And I enjoyed every second of it.
And thank you, Kathy. Lol. I meant what I said when I said that. Lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
πππ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas trE!π
You’re a good daughter and tried your best.
Profound wisdom and straight up good advice… you did your best!
Enjoy your time any way.. you have a great voice!
β€οΈ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly! I appreciate you. Happy Holidays to you and yours, Cindy! ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re so welcome! Awww thanks and same here. Happy holidays to you as wellπ
LikeLiked by 1 person
ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 1 person
πππ½
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes we have to make drastic choices for our wellbeing. Sorry your mom thinks that way, but I hope you and Jernee have a great Christmas!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! We’re going over to my cousins’ place tomorrow for a while. I plan on having BIG FUN. I’ll cook and rest and watch all my Christmas movies on Christmas day.
Happy Holidays!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
ππΎππΎππΎ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for setting this down for all of us to help bring the RIGHT energy into this sacred time. MANY people needed to receive this message including me. It is so hard to put those gloves down and step out of the ring, especially when you know nobodyβs going to communicate the problem and the solution as well or as lovingly as yourself. My therapist asked me a question once, βWhat is the worst thing that will happen, if you let that person fall?β All my answers were pure superstition, founded on no point of fact. You have to take care of your own soul. Nourish yourself well, my friend, and enjoy your precious time with Jernee and all the magic you make in the world! π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Sun! I appreciate you. Happy Holidays to you. Peace and blessings to you and your family. ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 1 person
This resonated with me on a number of levels that I won’t go into detail online. And I know exactly what you mean when you said that something inside you shut down. All that was said above is quite wise – you can’t change anyone, you can only control “you” and how you react. During the course of this pandemic, I’ve had such similar conversations with my Black/Caribbean/daughter peers and it feels as if we are all setting boundaries now. You did the right thing. Hugs to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Peace, Marquessa. Thank you. Be well. ππΎ
LikeLiked by 1 person
ππΎ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Iβm so glad you will be with some family on Christmas even if it isnβt your mom. Iβm sorry this happened but maybe itβs best this way. Try not to let her get under your skin, and enjoy the time with Jernee and your cousin. Do your thing when you get home, and trust that she is probably doing her thing as well. I donβt know her age or anything but maybe the real reason is sheβs tired and just wants to stay home. Maybe she thought youβd accept her excuse as valid instead of telling you the truth. Regardless, youβre right, you donβt need that negativity on Christmas or any other time. Peace, joy, and Merry Christmas π π₯°
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol. Kim, my mom typically has NO trouble speaking her mind. She’s the type of person you pray won’t speak their mind because she is blunt and sometimes has no couth. If she was tired, she would’ve said that, and she would’ve said it in a way you just wished she wouldn’t have. Lol. She’s 61.
It’s hard for me around the Winter holidays because I suffer from seasonal depression and I am thankful for my cousins because I can always drop by and spend time with them. It just hurts because as I stated, we planned this. And up until a couple days ago, she was excited. It is just weird the way it all transpired.
I’m ready to celebrate the holiday with slightly different plans, and I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest!
I’ll check on her and wish her well, and tell her I love her, and keep it moving.
I hope you’ll have a great holiday season!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I have plans to spend it with my hubby and some people here at the resort. I know my kids will be with my brother and that makes me happy. βΊοΈπ₯°
LikeLiked by 1 person
πβ€οΈπ Yay! Awesome! I hope you guys will truly enjoy yourselves!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re right let it go! My mom and I do not get along at ALL!!!! I’ve cried for years and longed for that connection. Then I learned I don’t want it from her but from a mother figure. I let her go years ago.
Yes girl get yo ass out the ring! Not worth it!
I needed this word!
LikeLiked by 2 people
ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, my trE, this is so heartbreaking and I truly understand you expressing your emotions verbally and courageously because girlfriend you have to unload some stuff that’s trying to suffocate your mind, body, and spirit. I think expressing this in the manner that you have is so liberating. I know you love your mother, but you can’t change her. She has to do that. Just pray for her, because you realize that time is too precious and life is so fragile.
Girl, you made me laugh…from Greensboro to Winston Salem? Literally down the street? I live in North Carolina too, so I know the distance. πππ€£ This isn’t funny but you are not even 30 minutes away? Girl, I know what you’re feeling. Many years ago I heard Bernice King speak and the one thing she said that resonated with me (mind you this was back in the late 80s) was not about her father MLK, Jr., but this:
“I would rather be by myself and know “who” I am than to be around others and forget “whose” I am.”
God bless you girl. ππΌ Let the shackles fall as they may. Enjoy your holidays! β¨ππ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly, Kym! I’m not far at all. But I live closer to Clemmons, so it’s like 45 minutes or a little less. It was just so EXTRA, and I said to myself, “Not tonight. Not anymore.’
Thank you! I appreciate it. I truly do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Girlfriend, hang in there. Just know that you are not the only one dealing with dysfunctional issues from the ones we love, especially family. But we do know that there is something we can do about it that won’t take away our joy and peace. I see that you have already done that. Peace & blessings my friend! Have a merry holiday weekend! πππΌβ¨
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly. You do the same as well. πππΎ
LikeLiked by 1 person
trE
Oh No! About Mom. Dare I venture further.
What the hell, into the breach. First of all you made the right call. You donβt need the kerfuffle or confusion.
The bad news; forever and repeatedly; be it twenty minutes from now, 20 days, or two decades removed from this inciting incident, you gonna doubt your decision.
My advice. Donβt doubt.
Is it just that simple? Of course not. But then againβ¦
The truly smart and caring person, both of which you are,
are subject to always thinking that if they had just handle a troubling circumstance with a bit more finesse all would be different.
The true delicacy of your decision was your ability to say βenough.β Even to Mom.
Hallelujah.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you. It just floored me because it was so out in left field. This isn’t something that just sprung up as a last minute thing, we’d already planned for it.
I respect her decision, and I have moved from that. I have to set boundaries. The energy she gives most times is hard to endure and over the years, I’d just been enduring it. I just can’t anymore. My body sort of shut down, you know?
Thank you, again.
LikeLiked by 2 people
There is no way that your Mom is ever going to change now trE and I think you are taking a brave stance on this. All you can do is respect her as your Mom and cope with the situation in a mature and loving way. Make sure you speak to her on Christmas Day and wish her well. Love and hugs to your and Jernee and I hope you have a blessed and relaxing break over Christmas and the New Year. ππ€
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, most definitely, Peter! I’ll still call and check on her and wish her a Merry Christmas, but I’m more aware now of what I can and will tolerate.
Thank you! Happy holidays to you and yours! ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 2 people
π€ππβπ¦Ί
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have sooo much to say on this one. You already know. We can love people from a distance and hold on to our boundaries as well. Itβs not fair to allow people to emotionally drain us as they live their happy life unaware of the turmoil theyβve caused. Iβm learning to accept that I canβt change how people love me BUT I can change the access they have to me. I love you always, Tre!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Amen to all of this! I realized a couple years back, I have the behaviors I have toward fear because I’ve seen how my mom handles certain things, and I am just like . . . no! That is no way to live. That is no way to love. I just can’t anymore.
I love you, too, cousin. Happy Thursday!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You cannot help those who do not help themselves, ESPECIALLY if they keep slapping your helping hand. I’m glad you’re keeping away from negative energy even when it’s coming from someone you love so much. You’re incredibly self-aware, so you know when writing (even though you love writing so much) would bring you down rather than lift you up β for that, you deserve kudos! Wishing you and the Little Monster a joyful Christmas in your cozy home. π
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Mags! We send love and hugs and all good things your way. β€οΈππ
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wrapping you and Jernee in holiday hugs. This post is full of wisdom. So sorry your mother gets caught up with this thinking. One of my sisters tries to drag the rest of us down. Sheβs getting worse. Time to act. Hope 2023 brings you everything good.
LikeLiked by 2 people
ππΎπ I hope it brings the very same for you, too, Peggy. I do.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am sad to learn about your cancelled holiday plans. I understand how hurtful that can be. I hope you find alternative plans that bring you joy and peace. That is what matters most. β€οΈ I also hope sharing your disappointment in the way that you did helped you to release some frustration. It seemed like it-your conclusion was quite powerful!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi, Michele!
Yes, it helped! I’ll still be going to my cousin’s house on Christmas Eve, so Jernee & I will be with them most of the day.
On Christmas, I’ll still cook and enjoy my meal as I have planned. I’ll also watch my favorite Christmas movies all day long, rest, relax, and be grateful for life and the things I have and the love around me.
ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 3 people
Sounds wonderful, trE. πEnjoy!
LikeLiked by 2 people
ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 2 people
I felt every word you spoke , my Friend. My relationship with my Mother was very similar. Unfortunately, she passed away before we could reach that place where she was not constantly battling me and the real bond I longed for. But like you I had decided that I was not going to invite anyoneβs negative energy into my body, mind, or home. So I gave her whatever space she needed and acknowledged every excuse she gave. I stopped engaging in the battle. I admit that I still suffer from the pain of knowing that I can never give her the love I have always had for her because she lives on the Other Side now. So I pray for her and wrap my family and friends in that love for her sake. Sending you and your Mother LOVE and PEACE in remembrance of my Mother in Heaven. Praying for everything you hope for this Christmas and in the New Year. β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈπππΎ
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you so much, Randy. I send you love and hugs and positive energy for the holiday season, and for your family as well.
Peace and blessings to you. ππΎπ
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m so sorry *hug* β€οΈ
LikeLiked by 2 people
ππΎπ It’s not anyone’s fault; it’s just a thing that’s a thing that needs to be conquered.
Thank you, Jennifer.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your words touched me deeply. Thank you for sharing this.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re most welcome.
LikeLiked by 2 people