5 golden years

my thoughts

  • epilogue

    I’ve been putting this off for a while. Today being Thanksgiving, I am taking a stab at it. One of my Mother’s friends I got to know, at 103 years of age, let me know she was, “Still learning.” At which I gasped, “Really, it never ends? I need a break.” Well, I have had…

  • my spiritual journey

    I found it difficult to shake the religious legalism Mother feverishly attempted to ingrain in her children. The incongruity of severe, man-made rules imposed, while preaching about the love of Jesus still perplexes me. In family pictures of us growing up, we all look so sad, to the point that tears come to my eyes,…

  • veneer christianity

    Religiosity dominated much of our family life growing up; that is, my Mother’s warped version. While firmly believing in the basic tenets of Christianity and living out to the best of his ability, Father retreated to the background, as he did in most areas. Starting from an early age, Mother’s method of discipline was to…

  • living in borderland: clearing the haze

    [This is part of the series, “Living in Borderland,” in which I describe my experiences living with my Mother’s Borderline Personality Disorder; covering psychological criteria, manifestations, effects on children, family and sibling reactions, and finding help.] ————————————— “Understanding our mother is the first step to understanding ourselves.” I do believe it is important to try…