The Berlin Wall and My Mother

I used to have a piece of the Berlin Wall.

I bet you are wondering how this relates to my mother.

Let me tell you...

This is probably one of this most difficult things to write about and it has taken me years to put it together and just as long to not stop writing to have a cry.

Like I said, I used to have a piece of the Berlin Wall.  I also had a very coveted Stephen King novel and a potato belly mandolin.

As I write, please remember that I do love my mother.

You can love someone and at the very same time be angry at them.

I had a bad break up years ago that led me to see a counselor.  During my first visit I exclaimed, "Why do I keep choosing the wrong men?"

So the counselor asked me about my past, my family dynamics, my goals, what makes me happy.  You know, all that counseling stuff.

After a few sessions, my counselor mentioned that she thought I may be the daughter of a narcissistic mother.  She recommended that I read, "Will I Ever Be Good Enough", by Karyl McBride.

I read the book.  

And I cried for hours.

and hours....

The book felt like the author knew my life.

The hurt and anger bubbled up to the surface.  I had an understanding of why I am the way I am.

A narcissistic mother has the family revolve around them.  The pit siblings against each other.  She is extremely controlling of one child (me), makes one out to be the bad kid (my brother) and ignores the rest (my sister).

A narcissistic mother cannot exhibit empathy.  She doesn't acknowledge your successes and stresses the importance of how things look to her and not how it feels for you.  She is critical and judgmental.  She is more of a friend than a parent.  She tells you how to feel instead of asking how you feel.  

The dynamic of a narcissistic mother is so broad that I cannot even list everything and not all narcissistic mothers have all of the dynamic.

Obviously, growing up, I never knew of this form of abuse but as an adult, I totally do now.

Trying to heal from it is difficult.  I suffer from such self doubt.  

When I fix my hair, I hear my mom's voice, "If you wear you hair short, you face wouldn't look so fat." 

I struggle in relationships.  I try so hard to please my partner that I lose who I am in the process.  I have had lots of practice trying to please my mother in order to receive love and acceptance.  I never felt like I totally achieved the goal.

During my counseling, I grieved for my younger self.  I see a little blonde haired girl wanting desperately to be loved but never feeling it the way that it should have been.

Instead of encouraging me to grow and learn my way, she limited me.  I wanted to go to college so bad in Colorado.  I applied and was accepted at several universities.  When the acceptance letters came in the mail, I eagerly showed them to my mom.  She looked at the letters in disgust and said that she would never pay for me to go to a school that far away.  My hopes and dreams were cut so very short.  I basically gave up on dreaming after that.

When I was 21, I finally moved out and as I was packing up my room I noticed my coveted Stephen King novel, that she had even given my one Christmas, was missing as well as a piece of the Berlin Wall that a friend had sent me.  I questioned her on it and she said that she took them and gave them to one of her friends because she figured I was doing reading the book and that I didn't want the rock anyway.

Even after all this time, I am very angry.  Two of my favorite treasures.....gone.

After my second divorce, my parents were helping me move into my new house.  She spotted my antique potato belly mandolin and asked if she could have it back.  She gave it to me for Christmas one year.  She wanted to gift it to my nephew (that I have never met) because she felt he would appreciate it more than me.

Again, I felt defeated but I didn't stand up to her.

Even after she died, my sister got her wedding rings and she said that was going to happen because I should get my grandmother's ring from my Aunt.  She said I should contact her to get it.

So why do I write about this now?

It has taken time.  I have so many unfinished drafts.  It is a hard subject to explain.  I open myself up to judgment because heaven forbid that I talk bad about her.

I can only hope that I continue to heal.  

Maybe someday I will be good enough.



Links:

Will I Ever Be Good Enough by Karyl McBride

Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers Website