The web she weaves.......

My mother and I haven't been talking as much since my 'fight' (that wasn't) with my father-
She is obviously hurt by this and calls all the time and I don't return the call.
I feel like a shitty daughter and I feel bad for her........
The background on my mother-
I have ALOT of issues with her- from a very young age she became my friend and not my mother- at 11 I was going with her to concerts and parties where she and her friends were getting fucked up (and she tried to get me to smoke pot) there are a million and one stories of my mother's poor choices.
She has made these choices out of a deep need to be loved and needed.
My father wasn't around much in my life and I replaced that companionship.
Anytime my mother needed guidance, she came to me....this has continued since my mom first saw me as 'an old soul'-
ANyway- She changes her views and what she thinks to fit whoever she is with or whoever she feels will benefit her more........
When my father and I had the spat, if you want to call it that, when i went to visit- my mother came up with all these claims that my father was in the right- I yelled at her and hung up.....
She flat out lied, like she always does.
I hate lies BECAUSE OF MY MOTHER.
She lies, keeps secrets and lives her life in this glorious bubble of denial.
It infuriates me that I can't let it go.......
ANYWAY-
My mother obviously has noticed my distance from her (I am doing this to try to protect myself from situations like today- She is my mother and I love her soooooo much. I see her as someone I need to take care of and comfort and console all the time....I do love her but it is a strange relationship- very turned around) So.....the last few times I have spoken with her, she does this voice like 'poor me' and I haven't been as coddling to her as usual.....
I have been distant and cut our talks short.
I feel mean and have caused this situation by being my mothers mother for the last 10 + years.......
But now I need a breather....like even a short one.
I feel guilty for it- my mom always said anytime I didn't want to talk to someone or didn't do what she wanted 'what if (blank) dies- won't you feel guilty!!' - Because her father died when he and I hadn't made up from my fight with him (he punched me and chased me around the house screaming all sorts of bs at me b/c i was disrespectful and not a catholic- i was 13) But she put this fear into me that now that I am wanting a bit of distance from her for a little while, what if something happens to her.......won't I feel awful.
Tonight Im listening to her talk and then she realizes I am still being distant so she decides to pull the whole 'I am in so much pain- I am so sick" (she has fibromyalgia and so do I so I can relate but she is just looking for me to coddle her) So I say 'Im sorry- I hope you feel better' in a cold voice.......
I couldnt hide it.
I knew she was trying to manipulate me into feeling sorry for her....then she says she just wants to die and starts crying and says how she is okay if she dies now b/c she can watch over me and my brother and I was like 'When you are in alot of pain, it is normal to have thoughts of death and dying- but it will get better don't worry about it'
SO THEN she sees that is not going to work and she STOPS CRYING. like on a dime turn around!
UGH.
I knew it was alllll manipulation like always.......
Then she starts talking about my brother(she is jumping from one thing to the next to try to get reactions out of me and it was SO TRANSPARENT) She starts in on how his girlfriend gets all the attention and she doesn't get a letter but when he needs something, he will write to her.
That is when I snapped.
I am sorry. but my brother is in fucking Iraq- and yeah, right now he is safe at a base but he wasn't.....he was out fighting and seeing shit I can't even imagine.....so for my mother to act like my brother owes her something b/c she sent him a pair of fucking sunglasses when he needed it made my blood boil. And I said to her 'You are his parent. He does not owe you anything. That is your job as a mother, to take care of your son when he needs it- you act as if b/c you sent him a pair of glasses he is now in debt to you and must write to you every other day!'
She got all uppidy and was like 'oh, well, i have to go' (in this hurt voice....again trying to make me feel bad) so i said okay and we hung up.
What erks me is -
I KNOW what she is doing and I STILL feel bad!!!!!!!!!!!
I still feel guilty.
I think, My poor mother.
She is so lonely and just needs love......
But not once did she ask how I was feeling.....or how Andrew was feeling.......no no....
Man.....my parents confuse the hell out of me.
Just when I start to recover from their constant mindfucks- they strike again.
DAMNIT!

I swear to you, I am not a bitch.
 
You handled that conversation perfectly and we all know you are the furthest thing from being 'a bitch'.

I feel bad for your mom just because she is kind of like us BL'ers/Darksiders. We NEED to change in order to get rid of our pain. We struggle with change because we've been doing what we do for so long and the comfort of misery is MUCH easier than the pain and uncertainty of change.

I dunno. Don't feel bad or beat yourself up. You put your foot down. A person can only tolerate so much bullshit and it sounds like you've been putting up with it for a long time
 
Thanks OD.........
And Thanks for reading that novel :)

You are right, my mother is a Darksider and doesn't know it :)
BUT TDSers are open about their problems and faults and are trying to work through them......My mother would never admit to problems or at least honestly believe them.......
Her latest thing is trying to admit to a problem without doing it, she says 'I am an alcoholic according to my daughter' - Its something I guess...... 8)
Again, Thanks for reading my rant......
 
Your mother sounds a lot like mine. I tried for years to suffer through a relationship with her and convince myself that I loved her unconditionally, tolerating the deceit, the selfishness and the guilt trips. I finally gave up when I was about 19. We've spoken maybe three times in the nine years since then. It wasn't easy and I wasn't sure at first, but now I am certain it was the right choice.

She was a lost cause, destined to never be happy no matter what I or anyone else did or said. Meanwhile, trying to please her or fulfill my daughterly duty was dragging me way down. And she didn't seem to care that it was. Without a doubt, I am better for not having her in my life.

Will I be sad when she dies? Sure, in a distant sort of way. But will I feel guilty? No. That's a feeling she tried to instill in me and I'm glad I rose above it.

Love is not built on fear and manipulation.
 
You are right that love is not built on manipulation and fear (which is what I don't like about her religion and politics;))
Its a scary thought to not talk to her again but I am for sure going to put a little space between us for a while......
Thank you for reading and for your response....
its good to hear that others have dealt with something similar and that I am not evil for feeling the way I do :)
 
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