I wonder

Clare,
Today is also my youngest's birthday- 16 today.
He is struggling with independence and dependence…
trying to find his way to a trusted interdependence.
It's been a rough and rocky year.
I was explaining the past year to his girlfriend as I drove her to our house this afternoon.
He tried so hard to support me when his brother was going "off the deep end"…
and then he lost control when we accepted his brother back after his desert walk…
to the point that he needed his own desert walk.
Now he's struggling to get off the substances that he swore weren't addictive.
He's had 2 good weeks at this point.
He had some friends over last night.
It was fun.
Today he did 5 hours of service work and he's very calm.

We all had a tough time growing up…
so much of our personal pain is unknown to anyone else.
I knew that nuns were mean…
but didn't realize that they humiliated B#1 for accidents…
I guess the sisters were unloading on the vulnerable first and second graders.

I work with a nun now. She's great. We talk about the challenges of religious life…and how many of the nuns are miserable people…many had no choice…pushed into religious life by well-meaning, fear-driven parents.

Are there any normal people on earth?
I wonder about this.
Are there untouched, indigenous people who are normal?
I wonder what that would look like.

Tomorrow is my talk on the topic of child abuse…
I will be glad when it's over.

Love and Light beautiful sister,
Maggie