The worst part of today is going on right now: My daughter is finishing her first middle school assignment, due tomorrow, and she's struggling. Hard. She has been left with zero to no confidence because AXH used her as his main emotional garbage can, and she can't see how smart and talented she is, even though she was at the top of her class going out of elementary school.
The best part of my day is, surprisingly, the same part: Finding myself able to keep taking deep breaths and encouraging her, even when she's saying "I hate the world" and "I hate everything" and "I'm useless" and "I can't do this" -- because she continues. And I continue. I don't get irritated and walk off like I had a tendency to do when I was married to AXH; she doesn't give up and decide to fail like she used to.
We've come a very, very long way. And that is a good thing. I keep telling her to do her best and not expect perfection. And I tell myself the same thing. We're a work in progress, as is her assignment.