She also repeats her old stories a lot, and no it's not a getting older thing, its a "her" thing, I can remember it my whole life. I will try to tell her some adventure or happenstance in my life and I will get steamrolled by one of these stories, that I've known by heart since before my adolescence... if I try to redirect her by saying, "yes I know about this", and quickly try to summerize her story to prove it, so that I can get on with what *I* have to say, she just gets louder and keeps on going, talking right over top of me ... so rude and so frustrating.
OMG we must be sisters! Reading this whole thread is like that AlAnon meeting saying "I can reminisce with total strangers!"
The child in me, the one she keeps wanting to mother, wants to stomp my feet and yell at her to listen to me
Oooooph yes. I have the same feelings and it is challenging to own them....and I hate them....and if I just went off on her and said all the things I really want to say I would absolutely just crush her like a jelly...and I'd be the monster then, and no better off.
Last Spring after a week long visit with her I parked my car in a deserted parking lot and I just went off and screamed and yelled and shrieked and sobbed and said all the really really intense things I've ever wanted to say to her about everything.
It did feel really good, and I did have less frustration with her the next time we spoke -- but a few days after my private rant I got a raging UTI, needed antibiotics, hadn't had one in decades, and when I looked it up in my Louise Hay "Heal Your Body" book for the underlying psychological cause it said, "Pissed off. Blaming others. Burning with anger." GULP!! Food for thought as always, thanks Louise! So who knows if ranting was "good" for me or not LOL.
Peace,
B