So, Monday once again. Hope you all have a fun day!!!
What a tough weekend...and week leading up to it too. As I've mentioned, my father in law who I was very close with passed away a couple of months ago and my mother in law who I've always had a rather tense relationship with is, quite understandably struggling. The problem is that she takes her suffering out on those around her and has been terribly short tempered and critical, particularly, of course, of those who are trying to be most supportive. She doesn't feel OK sleeping in her house alone at night so I drove 5 hours to pick her up, 5 hours back, had her to stay in my new house (which she hates) for a week and then drove back again with my family to spend another week staying with her at her house and staying for a family reunion last weekend in which we remembered Santiago's Saint's day and birthday (they fall on consecutive days).
Suffice it to say that there has been a lot of tension and really unnecessary criticism about pretty much everything from our clothes and our car to how we raise our kids (who of course have been behaving awfully). When I suggested that she might find it useful to see a psychologist I really got it. Wasn't it normal for her to feel bad? Was I trying to say she had some sort of problem, etc. The self-help book my wife bought her also appeared rather visibly on the top of the recycling...
Well, anyway, grief affects different people in different ways but on a personal note I now realized that this extra stress, which is what it turned out to be, has lead me into dangerous territory. All I can say is thank God for the accountability I have here and with my wife because at the family party it was basically back to week one but worse because I was no way expecting the intensity of the cravings that I experienced and AV sat on my shoulder for practically the whole weekend. I feel emotionally and physically drained after driving back yesterday and into work this morning. But I feel safe now. Like I made it through aassive storm and I'm battered and shaken but still in one piece. We have friends staying this week but although they will drink as they are on holiday, they are good caring people and I think I'll be OK.
Thanks to this group I have made it through once again! Where would I be without you guys?!!
Hope you have a great day!