Unloved and Unwanted

Written by Gail Fonda


Unloved, Unwanted & Disowned

Ever since I was a child in kindergarten I knew there was something strange about my mother. She didn't seem normal, but at that time, how would I know what normal is?

My brother, four-years-older, never seemed to be home. I have never had a conversation with him, and I am now in my late forties. He was never interested in getting to know me or including me in his life. He was someone I knew was there but my existence, and his, was meaningless.

We lived inrepparttar same house, but we were both more like boarders. He always was off with his buddies. I didn't really meet those people untilrepparttar 111670 high school years, but even then it didn't matter.

Both my parents and brother were never capable of showing love or emotion. Whatever feelings they had, it only appeared inrepparttar 111671 form of severe negativity. My mother was always crying for some reason or another. She seemed to hate her life even though nothing at all was ever expected of her.

All my mother ever did was go inrepparttar 111672 basement and yell atrepparttar 111673 washing machine, talk torepparttar 111674 cleaning woman at lunch and watch television. Her only goal in life was to figure out what's for dinner and which room to clean.

She was obsessed with cleanliness. She sometimes would get onrepparttar 111675 floor on her hands and knees and scrubrepparttar 111676 floor. But she was never happy withrepparttar 111677 results. Everything was always dirty, even minutes after it was cleaned, she felt it was dirty again.

It took me my whole lifetime to realize my mother and father were mentally disturbed. My parents both lived offrepparttar 111678 successful financial condition of my maternal grandparents. My father was a ne'er-do-well who made it from check to check but my grandmother willingly gave money on a regular basis for whatever we needed.

I guess since my father knew that, he didn't try very hard. My grandfather tried to force my father and uncle to be in business together, but that was always volatile. My entire household was always volatile, with explosive temperaments coming from everywhere. Always loud voices yelling and swearing and slamming of doors and throwing of objects with uncontrolled, raging tempers. I was shaking a lot.

My parent's have always had extreme difficulty getting along with people, and that was one of many reasons why they have few to none as far as social contacts was concerned.

My mother spent most of her life watching television. She always was ill from something or another. But her illnesses weren't bad enough to keep her from forming a life her own. She simply didn't try or was too mentally weak.

Christmas Countdown

Written by Shannon Jarvies


The holidays bring back such wonderful memories for me. But it's notrepparttar gifts I received that I remember so much, asrepparttar 111669 feelings of anticipation and excitement I felt waiting forrepparttar 111670 glorious day to arrive. Back then, I thoughtrepparttar 111671 presents underrepparttar 111672 tree is what made Christmas so magical. Now I know otherwise. As I think about this, I want to teach my children to understand and recognizerepparttar 111673 true spirit of Christmas. I know they feel just as I did as a child and I want to make sure they realize that if those feelings of anticipation and wonderment are wrapped with love and service, they will have a magical Christmas every year. This year I've decided to make a Christmas Countdown calendar. Any calendar will do: one that you are already using or a printed or hand- made December calendar. Anything that you can hang on your wall or even set on your Christmas tree will work. I'm going to write fun ideas or scripture verses on each slip of paper and stick it torepparttar 111674 calendar. Each night after dinner, I will have one of them chooserepparttar 111675 slip of paper forrepparttar 111676 day and read what is on it. Then we as a family will dorepparttar 111677 suggested activity. Here are a few ideas: *Write a kind note for someone in your family and hide it for him or her to find it. *Show your love for a brother, sister or friend by helping him or her

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