It probably should have occurred to me long before this, but this space has become more than just a way to document my Spiritual journey, but has really become about my life as a whole. I suppose some are able to separate one from the other and focus on what they originally attempted to do, but for me, the two are so deeply intertwined that if I only focused on one or the other, pieces would simply be missing.
I wanted more than anything for this to simply be a resource for others who might face the same uncertainties, the same struggles, perhaps answer some of the questions that I myself asked, perhaps more than once.
One of the things that I have struggled with my entire life, has been setting boundaries and sticking to them. Speaking up and using my voice to the person that I am having difficulty with in the moment has always been difficult. I would find my emotions rising quickly to the surface of my throat, and rather than explaining, I would explode in a rush of tears, screams, and eventually, running.
It's always been easier for me not to say anything, or to express myself to others who were not involved, or if I had to confront the person, to do so in writing. In a way, it feels like a cop-out, like a lack of strength; and I've always justified the writing as a way to make sure I say exactly what I want to say. No over-embellishments, no expressions of anger that I couldn't take back because I could proof read until it was perfect.
In a couple of cases, this has been my only means of communicating my displeasure, my hurt and my anxiety surrounding an incident. But for the majority of my relationships, it simply won't do anymore. I need to learn how to trust myself to say what needs to be said. To use trust that I can control my voice, kept my emotions in check, and to not rely on body language to communicate my frustration.
It's taken me a long time to recognize that doing such things is a form of anxiety; something I have known that I live with, but something I thought only came out when 'bigger' things happen. I put it on the back burner, not taking it seriously. In doing so, I have only begun to recognize when it comes to life in my day to day, and now comes the task of learning how to come back to my center and not let it run wild.
None of these things were taught to me as a child, such things were encouraged and fed because it bred pity, which could lead to leniency or favors, privilege if you like. Crazy as it might sound, it's how I was raised, and even though it didn't really stick, the lack of ability to deal with such challenges has clearly left its mark.
That's not to say that my mother did not do her best working within her own mental health issues. Because to her credit, I think that she did. The difference I have found however, is that while I have since grown up and do not shy away from responsibility for learning how to work with these afflictions, she never did.
More than anyone else in my life, she is such a special case. As much as I once wanted nothing more than a honest relationship with her, I am now aware that such a relationship is simply not possible with her current state. One that I believe she has become so engrossed, perhaps even lost in, that I can no longer pretend that any form of relationship is healthy.
In the past, I have felt everything from severe hatred, resentment, frustration, anger, pain to an unbearable degree, loss, pity, disgust, and now, I simply feel separation.
My mother as a person is still alive, and well to the best of my knowledge. I sincerely mean it when I say that I want nothing but the best for her, and that I truly hope that she finds peace and happiness. But the idea, the image of a healthy, supportive, understanding relationship has been put to rest. The dream I carried for so long has been released, and in its place is the desire expressed above.
Truth be told, I simply do not need her. I realize that sounds harsh, but just like my other unhealthy relationships, I simply did not need them either. I may have convinced myself to hang on for a time, with the secret hope that something, anything would change and things would be different, but the truth is that nothing has changed with the exception of myself.
I've changed. I've changed more in the last year and a half than I have my entire life.
That's not to say that I won't miss her, but I see her as one that has passed on. An ancestor that I express gratitude to for all of the lessons that they have shown me, for granting me the privilege of being the one to break this cycle, of being a single piece in the creation of a new cycle, on in which there is a lack of resentment and hate, in its place the glow of forgiveness and peace.
In case I ever find myself doubting, I love my mother very much, and there is a small child within who still wishes that things could have been so different. Yet, I find myself grateful for the opportunity to be presented with this work, the chance to show love and affection to this little girl who knew judgement far too soon.
Samhain is approaching us, and at this crossroads I will honor my ancestors, as well as the Self that I have been. I will lay down the torches I have carried for far too long, and dance round the fire in celebration that the cycle is in fact ended.
It's not always easy to say goodbye, but clinging to what is already gone only keeps you trapped in the past, and I have already spent to long there.
So I say farewell instead, with hope that when we meet again, things will be different, lighter perhaps.
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| Image from thecolorjournal.com |
Until next time,
~Thealynn
©2013-2017 Thealynn Oceanna Rosewolf
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