[Freedom1990]

Resentments shut me off from the sunlight of the spirit.

My father is an untreated ACOA, and my mother is the hand-wringing martyr codependent. I am the recovering addict in the family, and the first one in many generations to break the cycle of addiction. My brother broke his cycle of addiction many years after I got into recovery, and to this day, he's kept that secret from the rest of the family besides me.

I didn't start to heal from the dysfunctional dynamics of my family of origin until I came to accept that the only one I could change was me, and that I had to learn to 'parent' myself in many areas.

My mother will never be the kind of mother I always wanted, and today that's okay with me. I've learned to take care of that lonely insecure little girl inside of me.

I hope you are able to find the peace of mind and acceptance that I have found. :ghug :ghug