I’ve been thinking…
Hope as Bait: Why Narcissists’ Apologies Cut Deeper Than Their Cruelty
“Mom, look at me,” I said as we drove home from the mental health clinic. “Repeat after me. I am loved.” She reached for my hand. “I am so sorry I did that to you and Warren. I won’t do it again.” Could this be the breakthrough I had been praying for?
When Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: Surviving Life with a Narcissist
“I don’t know what to do. She fights us at every turn. She thinks she’s the one we should be taking care of. Not my dad. Her mind is not right.” Warren and I sat in the backyard, where we took a coffee break each afternoon—our daily respite from full-time caregiving....
Words Like Weapons: Surviving a Narcissist’s Emotional Attacks
“I DON’T TRUST YOU!” And just like that, four little syllables nearly knocked me flat. If my hair were longer, I feel sure it would have blown back at the force of these words from my mother-in-law. Never had I had such hate hurled in my direction, and my sensitive...
When Grief Doesn’t Look Like Grief
Note: I wrote most of this post while my brother-in-law was still in hospice care. He passed away yesterday. I've decided to share these reflections as they were, with minimal changes, as part of my own processing journey. I was scrolling through Facebook on our way...
The Gift of Letting Go: A Journey Through Narcissistic Abuse
Did you read my last post about slowing down in the new year? Taking things as they come rather than frantically trying to plan and pursue a harried agenda? I find it very interesting that in January I read no less than three blog posts, besides my own, that said...
When Your New Year Doesn’t Start with a Bang
“I feel like I’m in a pit, and the sides of the walls are all covered in slime. I’m trying to claw my way out, and I just keep sliding back down.” I spoke these words to my husband just yesterday. I usually start the new year off like I’m running a race, and the...
We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.