what i've learned along the way
. . . and they aren't even my kids!
Published on August 15, 2005 By lobsterhunter In Misc
Perhaps a short history will help me see the situation more clearly:

My college roomate becomes my best friend.

Her 14 year old sister has two babies before she gets her driver's license.

As a full time college student, I agree to live with my best friend and her infant and toddler neices after they are removed from their mother's care due to neglect.

I become a co-dependent surrogate parent, willfully sacrificing my college years because I am sick and think my sole purpose in life is to help my friend.

The girls become the light of my life, and I consider them family.

By the grace of God, I decide to move to a different town after graduation. We continue to be enmeshed and unhealthy. I drive to her city at least twice a month, and I become the built in babysitter.

Life starts to suck pretty bad, and I start feeling desperately lonely. After months of pain, I begin seeing a councelor, and slowly things improve.

I come to understand how unhealthy my thinking has been, and how dysfunctional this relationship has become. We wade through the treacherous waters of co-dependency, and I maintain my relationship with her girls.

I keep the girls anytime she needs a break, and I am pretty much the only consistent relationship they have in their lives. (Their biological mom is now a speed addict, and their aunt has gone through numerous other co-dependent relationships).

The girls stay with me at least once a month, and in the summer time I keep them for up to two weeks. I take them special places, and I am purposeful about spending quality time with them.

There aunt has decided she is done with God, and no longer desires to raise her girls with a faith. She is in a new highly toxic codependent relationship, and rather than deal with reality, she's decided to blame me for her problems.

I was informed this week that I am no longer allowed to see the girls without her supervision. This is due to the fact that I permitted her girls to express their feelings about being emotionally neglected and encouraged them to tell their aunt how they felt. I also allowed them to see Willy Wonka, which apparently was a no-no.

Today I feel bitter, yet resilent. I will write the girls. I will set up supervised visits. I will maintain contact to the best of my ability.

I don't have a "best friend" anymore, but who really wants one like her anyway?

(I'm fully aware that no one really cares about all this junk, but I needed to get it out. Don't feel obligated to respond)


Comments (Page 2)
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on Aug 30, 2005

Because I love her I will not slander nor defame her in the way in which she has done me.

I really don't think she intended to "slander or defame" you.  She may have indirectly made some dirogetory remarks, but this is her blog---meaning sometimes her thoughts are caustic, hence the writing instead of facing the person who was the initial catalyst for the pain.  Tenille loves you and your girls; is she didn't, she wouldn't be writing about the situation or trying to fix it.

But I do want to teach them that life isn't fair and we don't have to pretend that everything is okay, and not to fear the questions that we have.

Can I just say that I want to celebrate at the sight of those words?  It's such a blessing that the girls are being raised by someone who is (finally) aware of that.  I also want to say that your decisions pertaining to God are no one's business but your own, and think everyone, even Tenille, has gone through that.  She just chooses to describe her thoughts in a different way, with a little less bluntness and a lot more caution, mostly because she knows that people judge others for doubt.

Most of all they know that they are loved by myself and many others. Ask Tenille, I don't think she would disagree.

No, she definately would not disagree.  Did you ever speak with Tenille about exactly what happened during the said conversation with the girls?  Tenille knows that you have always done the best you can, and that no one could ever love those girls more than you.  But, she also loves the girls, and when they come to her with genuine concern and tears in their eyes, all she wants to do is ease their pain.  I realize she doesn't know the girls as well as you; she no longer lives with them, and they become more complex every year.  This is a big part of the cause for this whole problem.  I don't believe she ever said anything to the girls defiling your character or your ability as a parent.  As far as I know, she did nothing but defend you and let the girls know that you're just busy and you could never stop loving them.  I think you know this, too.  You said yourself, children can be manipulative, and they can also be misleading.  I think they came to you with a "Tenille said we should talk" attitude, and you mistook it for "Tenille said you suck".

If I were you, I would be just as defensive with it came to my parenting technique, and no one should have the right to question it.  But Tenille was a large part of the girls lives, as well as yours, and she feels she knows when something is wrong.  She is a "fixer" (which, believe me, gets extremely annoying), and wants everything to be pleasant in everyone's lives.  I think she just needs to learn that families have hard times; it's a rule of life.

I know that you know that the girls well-being is in no way threatened by them being Tenille.  She may have made some bad judgements pertaining to who can watch the girls and what movies they can see, but I really don't think you would have protested in the way you did until the conversation between Tenille and the girls took place.  What I don't think you believe is that Tenille would NEVER ever make your girls think that you are in any way a bad parent.  She would defend you to the death.

I have been informed that Tenille apologized and agreed to do whatever you requested of her when the girls were in her care.  She doesn't know what else to do, and this is tearing her up.  So, in a moment of desperation, she wrote about it and elicited responses telling her that there is good and evil, and she is the good.  I think there is some gray area, and you guys should talk like adults (I realize I'm not EVEN  the one who should be writing this) at least for the girls sake.

Tenille shouldn't make this about her, and you shouldn't make it about you...you know who it's about.  This isn't divorce court.

Trinitie

p.s.  Thank you for your comment on my sisters; the fact that YOU think I'm a GOOD influence makes me smile, cuz you've always believed me to be a bit...off...which I am.

P.p.s. Tenille doesn't know I'm writing this, and will probably be upset after she sees it. She in no way influence my thinking; I don't even know if she's read your comment yet; she's at school.

on Sep 01, 2005
I'm not a writer and I have never write in a blog, but reading all of this, and seeing that this is growing in a bad direction and the most you talk or say anything looks like you complicated more or hurt each other more. I love Tenille and I know how important the girls are for her. And you know what? Just watching the TV today and seeing all the people from New Orleans who they loose all what they have with the Hurricane...incuding their families, make me think that some times we complicated our lifes so bad. Lets pretend that all this situation was just like the "Hurricane", where eveybody loose, eveybody cry, and eveybody is hurt. For a lot of people that they are "out " already and safe it's a new begining and they need to start all over, from nothing. And you know what is the big diference?... you still having something (a lot from my point of view).... JESUS, love, forgiveness. I think the girls are worthed... I don't know if you want to build something in the same place because take time and effort to "clean" all and fix "all", but you have the option to forgive and let Jesus be in charge of cleaning and fixing. The only thing you can do is to leave the place that is flood, put eveything in the past and open your heart for the good, what is the good in all of this? Share your time and love with the girls.
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