Tag Archives: love

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Hear ye hear ye 

it’s national poetry writing month. The goal is to write a poem a day. I’m not sure I can commit to that but I will write more than usual. 

I suddenly become aware of the silence

Ssshhhhh 

Listen

Now my mind is racing

My heart is pumping

What’s going on?

It’s too quiet

I walk cautiously through the house

Every step takes me closer to the unknown

As I peer around the corner, I see them

One is sitting on the counter

The other is sitting on the floor

They were finally successful

After many foiled attempts

They got into the cookie jar

— I will call this one, Toddlers—

National Poetry Writing Month

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15 Steps to Slowly and Torturously End a Relationship

My confession for today is I like to read. I read a lot of books and online articles. Every week there is a new article listing 6, 8, 10 or 15 steps to a successful relationship. They all list the same basic concepts like communicate, set aside alone time and keep the intimacy going. With the divorce rate being what it is and people in relationships not following all the wonderful advice readily available then perhaps they don’t want healthy relationships. Maybe they really want to practice a mild form of legal torture. If that’s the case, I’m here to assist you in your quest.

Any and all of these should work to drive a wedge between you and your partner. After doing these things continuously you should be able to end your relationship. Maybe.

1.) Be inconsiderate- show up late from work, miss the family get togethers, forget birthdays and anniversaries, throw your clothes on the floor, spill sticky things and don’t wipe them up. If they like going out to dinner, movies, horse races or traveling don’t do those activities with them. Refuse to watch their favorite TV show with them. If you do decided to participate in their favorite activities, consistently use your mobile devices and act annoyed.

2.) Withhold affection- the human touch brings about a chain of positive chemical reactions. Deny that special person any form of contact especially intimacy.

3.) While you are withholding affection you may as well withhold intimacy. That will definitely teach them a lesson or two. Treat this one like holding your breath, let’s see how long you can go before you pass out.

4.) Cheat- since you are withholding affection and not being intimate you may as well cheat. Don’t make it too obvious and don’t hide it too well. The point of these steps is to slowly end the relationship. When you get caught you have two options, blame or apologize. Blame the other person and tell them it’s their fault if they had just done or not done whatever then you would not have cheated. The other option is to apologize then keep cheating and keep getting caught.

5.) Stop communicating effectively- do not respond to text messages, don’t return phone calls, remain silent at dinner, and give short answers or very long answers, depending on the settings, to questions. Oh, keep telling that same story over and over and over again.

6.) Spend too much money- buy something elaborate with the money that’s being set aside for something else. Want some new golf clubs, spa day, poker night, a trip somewhere? Start marking things off of your bucket list.

7.) Complain then complain some more. No examples required…

8.) When you purchase gifts make sure it’s something they will hate or resent. One lady I know received a big screen TV for Mother’s Day. That doesn’t sound too bad, right? Her husband placed it in his man cave. Besides, she asked for a camera. If the gift is for a female purchase a clothing item that’s two sizes too small. Then, give a blank stare when the complaining starts. For that guy in your life, buy him tickets to something you know he’d hate but his mother or better yet your mother would love then set up the date. You can go to the spa while they are gone.

9.) Never have alone time- make sure you always have company over or pack your schedules with activities. At the end of the long exhausting day, put your pet or your child in the bed with you. This would also be a good time to tell that story again.

10.) Do not keep your word- remember the title of this  promises 15 steps? Well I’m only giving you 10. Feel free to change your mind at the last minute.

11.) I left off one- no, it’s not be inconsistent or flakey it’s don’t show up for court dates and quibble over every detail of the divorce decree. When your partner finally decides they have had enough, make leaving torture.

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Sometimes I Cry

Sometimes I cry out of frustration
Other times I cry because my heart is hurting
Then there are the times I cry and laugh
Today I cried because it was time to say good-bye
I cry when life gets overwhelming
I often hear people say, “you are strong”
I’m only strong because I allow myself to cry
It’s the external manifestation of my current internal situation
The tears come when the numbers on the  barometer that measures the atmospheric pressure of my soul gets to high
Numerically speaking, when you multiply responsibility by tension then add negative relations
You get frustration
When frustration is divided by demands
It equals life
And life, in terms of numbers, is prime
When you divide it by its self, you only get one
At times I cry because some days, during this 1 life that I live, are filled with sorrow
But I will take this life and not covet any other
Because this life allows me to cry
If water is cleansing and refreshing
Then my tears cleanse my soul and refresh my spirit
Just a while ago, I said farewell to somebody who was dear to me
Today, was a day that I cried

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Excerpt from, A Real Life Drama

She was excited. He hadn’t asked her to go on a date in a while. Then, out of the blue, he asked her. Of course she said yes. It had been a long time since the two of them had spent time alone. They usually did everything as a family. He was big on family time. But he wanted to have dinner with her, alone. He was very casual in his approach. She tried not to show her surprise when he asked. He selected the restaurant. It didn’t matter that is was not her favorite place. He decided on the day. It didn’t matter that she would have had a long day at work. The only thing that mattered is they were spending time together. She was hoping they could talk and maybe laugh a little. They needed this time. It was important to her to build a solid relationship. After all, they were going to be in each other’s lives for a life time.

When they pulled up to the restaurant he got out of the car and opened her door. He was just that kind of guy. She never asked him too. He did it on his own. As they walked to the restaurant, she softly asked him, “is it okay if I hold your hand?” He’s not the affectionate type, at least not in public and rarely at home. He gave her the look. You know the one that says, “you are kidding me, right?” He asked her why he should hold her hand in public. She replied, because that’s what you do when you like someone and you’re on a date. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and started walking a little faster. She picked up her speed and grabbed hold to his arm. He didn’t pull away. She considered this a small victory. She silently prayed, “let my seven-year old find a wife who can look past his rough exterior to see his tender heart.”

(A date with the Stud Muffin)

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and it was good

In the beginning:

There were long conversations and lots of laughter

and it was good

Guarded shows of affection

and it was good

Compliments abounded

and it was good

Seeds of hope were planted

and it was good

Today was lived and tomorrow was planned

and it was good

Anticipation of time together mixed with sorrow of time a part

and it was good

The question was asked and I dos said

and it was good

Life changed as children were born

and it was good

Living life and facing trials together

and it was good

Working towards the common goals

and it was good

Reminiscing of times past

and it was good

Nearing the end with your friend

and realizing life was good

 

 

 

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Happy Valentines Day and Singles Awareness Day (2/15)

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The teenager approached me last week and said, “Valentine’s Day is just not what it used to be.” We always treated Valentines Day like a major holiday. I would decorate the house with hearts and quotes or scripture that depicted love. I bought ballons and decorated the dining room table with flowers for the honey girl and plates, napkins and a centerpiece. Leading up to the day I put love notes in their lunch boxes. But this year we only put the sign on the door. We pulled out the box but I realized that some decorations were missing or in bad shape.

The Fantastic 4 are with their dad this morning. There are no table decorations or balloons. Not yet. I think I will make a last minute run to the store like so many others to make this day special for them and our two friends who are spending the night with us so their parents can have a night out.

This day is hard for a lot of single people or people who thought they had a special person in their lives. This is the day that seperates the main squeeze from the side kick. This is the day people look at their lives and feel bad if they don’t receive flowers, a card, a box of candy, a text message, a tweet or some type of acknowledgement that they are loved. I don’t have words of comfort to offer you. But I will say I have been there.

Happy Valentines Day to all of you. Reach out to someone else and send them a bouquet of virtual flowers or just say “hi, I’m thinking about you.” Make this day and other days about somebody else. If you give it will be given back to you. Call it karma or the Golden Rule. But it works.

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Courage, Redemption, Grace & Mercy (part 1)

As I’ve previously stated, I don’t typically use my blog as a forum to discuss my divorce or previous marriage. On the rare occasion that I do, I will speak MY truth. He has his version, the Fantistic 4 will have theirs and I, the person holding the pen, have mine. Since this is my blog, you will read my version as lived from my perspective.
This is a three-part post, I reserve the right to add more as needed.

Courage

I was a stay at home mom. I was laid off from work while I was on maternity leave. I worked part-time about half the time to keep my skills current and to add a small amount of income to our very tight budget. I can’t tell you how many people were surprised by my decision. I was told I was wasting my degree. But it was the right one for us and I have zero regrets. Leaving the workplace and depending solely on your spouse to support you is an act of faith. Is comparing it to sky diving a little extreme?

I won’t go into the details but I will say things were rocky from the beginning. As the years progressed and three more babies came the rocks went from pebbles to boulders. We went to counseling and I prayed for my marriage. We received some good as well as some questionable advice, doctrine and guidance. The good was good but the bad was bad. One thing that really sticks out to me is being told he was the priest of our home and blah blah blah blah. I stopped slowly listening at priest. Let me say this, I refuse to bash “the church” or its misguided representatives. The people who counseled us were trying to help us. They loved us and didn’t want to see our marriage dissolve. I will ask, where does the Bible say the husband is the priest of the home? Please don’t give me weak implication or your broad interpretation. I was reading the OT to the 4 last night. We read the part about when the lineage of priests was established and the tabernacle was built. I could be wrong but every husband is not a descendant of Aaron. Besides, if you read NT the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was torn. This established our ability to have a one on one relationship with God instead of the priest representing us. Now where was I?

There are a few things that happened that gave me the courage I needed to begin the mental process of divorcing my husband.

We had a friend of the teenager over for dinner. After we blessed our food, we all began to eat in silence. This had slowly become the norm in our home. The friend asked the question, “why don’t you talk during dinner?” I lifted my head to look around the table and all of the children had their heads down with sullen looks on their faces. That question created an eye opening moment for me to begin looking at all the places where we no longer had joy and laughter.

I started updating my resume and mentally considering single life with four young kids. At the time they were around 1, 2, 5 and 8.

The second incident occurred at a local water park. My mommy friends and I would buy season passes and take our children to this water park multiple times a week. It gave us a much needed break and lots of time with each other. On one of these excursions I spent some time with another friend who told me she was going through a divorce. That was quite the shock for me as I had always seen her and her ex as a good example of a married couple. You never really know what goes on when the door is closed and the blinds are shut. When I listened to her story, I knew I would survive. Her concerns were different but the same. She had been a stay at home mom for many years and had real concerns about finances. She hadn’t completed her college degree but She didn’t need a degree to walk in her calling and giftings one being a fabulous photographer. I spoke with her often. She gave me hope and courage.

I went to a birthday party one January many years ago. The guest of honor and I went for coffee afterwards. I was watching the clock because I knew the ex would get upset if I was out too late. I was suffocating under a blanket of control but didn’t realize it at the time. After a short conversation, she was able to assess my situation and knew I needed to get out. I don’t know what tipped her off or if she was just that tuned in. I may have said, “he won’t allow…” one too many times. She talked to me that night and when I left, I was building up the courage to take the next step to leave.

I received a phone call a day or two later from a woman who is highly regarded in my circle of friends. After hearing about my marital situation from that friend, she told me I needed to leave. I didn’t have a full-time job yet and I was uncertain. But after talking it over with my sister-in-law, she graciously opened her home to us so I could leave. The husband of the birthday girl came over after my ex left for work and helped me pack a few things and I left. That was almost six years ago.

Courage.
For me it was a series of events that lead me away from a bad marriage but left me at the doorstep of redemption.