My Big Fat Life – I Learned.

Yesterday l had another echo to check things out, since it was his two week mark of being off of the prednisone. If we can make it a few more weeks without a flare, then his chances of having made it over the bump, may have finally arrived. I’m still holding my breath a bit, but I will be so happy to finally take a breath in and let it out. That means I haven’t unpacked the hospital bag just yet, and keep it ready to go at a moments notice.I have learned a lot about what it means to be a Mom to a child who has struggled with his health. I learned that it takes a lot out of you, but it also teaches you just how important your role as a parent is. It’s more than peanut butter smeared on the counter tops, sibling rivalry, long nights, and early mornings. It is a special place of your life that carries so much joy in the midst of the battles, where you realize the strength of your children teaches you more than any parenting book ever could, and wherever your children go you will always be as well.

Since I have been relaxing a bit, I have been reflecting on what I have taken from the last 7 months. So much has changed about me. Nothing quite shakes your life up and forces you to reevaluate every thing you stand for, other than standing by as you watch someone you love struggle as a machine breathes for them. Suddenly in that moment you are faced with every truth, every moment you let slip by, every time you didn’t bend and compromise when you should have, or bent too far and settled for less than what you wanted in this life.

In the past 44 years of my life, I have seen some pretty horrible things in people. I have been on the receiving end of their bad choices, and I am sure I have hurt people along the way myself. There have been things that happened, that reminded me that I am a lot stronger than I give myself credit for, and things that have brought me to my knees and reminded me just how weak I truly am. The past 7 months though, I learned something about myself I wasn’t expecting. I learned how that it’s okay to be weak while standing strong, and it’s cool to admit that. That opened a door for me to be honest with myself in ways I wasn’t exactly ready to embrace, but I was finding the courage to.

Let me say that something I always prefer not to do, is write about the people I date. I have been asked in the past to write something, or share, but there is always this apprehension. If the relationship fails it’s just documentation of your failures. Once the words are out there, there is not taking them back. You can erase them, you can hide them, you pretend you never wrote them…. but there they are. I don’t like people knowing my secret spaces, thoughts, fears or failures. It’s always kept me a safe distance, and provide an easy escape if things go awry. On the other side of that, I don’t like talking about the break ups for the same reasons. It’s just another documentation of a failure, and heaven knows none of us need that. After all, this whole blog was birthed from a failed relationship. Who needs more evidence that love is difficult? Having said that, I am pretty sure that you have been able to gather from previous posts, that my last relationship didn’t survive the process of my sons surgery and subsequent illness over the last 7 months.

When G was sick, I stayed with him the hospital every moment of every day. When I wasn’t watching him take every single breath, and keep my eyes on the monitors, I was faced with some hard truths about me. One of those things that would forever change me as a person, is that I have a much different view on what love looks like than I used to. I used to think it was all about compromise and giving in, rather than giving up. God, I am so sick of giving in. For all of the people I have allowed into my life, and compromised for in the name of love, I spent a tremendous amount of time settling for what someone else wanted, rather than what I needed. I learned what I need is consideration. I do not want to be smothered, I don’t want to be ignored. I simply want to be the balance of being considered. There is a lot of power in that realization. This extends beyond romantic relationships. It defines so many levels of communication I share with others. Yes, life is compromise. When the cost is yourself though, that’s one hell of a price tag.

I learned that there is nothing more important than the people you can be yourself around, and still love you. I learned that it’s okay to cry and want to be held quietly. I learned it’s okay to say “no” and hold to it. I learned it is okay to say “yes” and that follow through with action is just as important as the word itself. I learned to not stress over the little battles and to pick up only the big ones. I learned to smile more, and that life is really more worthy to spend with joy in your heart if you can find it. If you find something, or someone, that makes you smile.. go for it. I learned to talk to people more. I learned to hug strangers that are family in the walk. I learned that for someone who loves words, touch is the most affirming and comforting expression to me. I learned that grief can teach you more about love and life, than a single person. I learned that consideration is not the same as smothering someone with attention. In light of that, I learned I don’t like to be smothered with attention. I learned that hope is a four letter word that can provoke anxiety. I learned that instead of hoping for the best, to just live in the now and take the changes as they come while hoping they change. I learned if circumstances don’t change, I can.

Most importantly I learned that life is here and now. It’s not planning for 15 years from now, not for a month from now. It is right now. I don’t want to spend the last moments of my life on this earth regretting the ways I wasted my time, or the risks not taken. I don’t want to lose another moment of being afraid of what could happen, and just embracing what is set in front of me. Having said that, I also learned to not be afraid of some changes I found myself experiencing. I learned that in those moments of facing myself, that I am attracted to men and I am learning more about what that means to me.

I also just learned how scary that was to tell you that.