LJ Idol Week 8: My True North

[proceedcyclone]

In the middle of one of Aurora’s tantrums, my mother offered her unsolicited opinion citing her resume of wonderful children. And my husband just lost it. His eyes were wild and his lip quivered (later, he’d quipped, “See, I told you that you’d never really seen me angry before”). The only thing missing was fire coming out of his ears like a

Comments

[millysdaughter]

I had to accept an apology that was never offered, just so I could move forward.
Some people will never admit any fault -- but we do not have to carry it. The best advice I was ever given was "just because someone handed you a cactus, that doesn't mean you have to sit on it."

[rayaso]

All the dysfunctional threads that run through here are so saddening. I hope you follow through to protect Aurora from her grandparents' substance abuse around her.

[roina_arwen]

That sounds like a difficult situation. Best of luck!

[nikkiii_brown]

That is so tough. Thank you for sharing ♥

[halfshellvenus]

because it was my father, after all, who had repeatedly lied about his substance abuse.
But she let him continue to be part of your family while he did it! She had to have known. :(

These are important questions you're pondering, and your decision to address them is a sign of true progress over how you were raised.

Because of what sounds like your dad's continued substance abuse, you may reach the point where you have to really limit their contact with your child. But at least you will have been straightforward about why, whether they wanted to hear it or not.

And you'll be drawing a crucial line that your mother was not willing to.