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It’s been a while

So much has happened since my last blog. It’s been a lot of ups and a few downs. We both are doing good and have navigated all that has happened very well have become even more connected to each other. He is my best friend and husband and I can’t imagine life without him. We have both really grown and have a new understanding of each other. It’s a stronger us for sure.

Working on some new stuff and I am hoping to build more on my blog as time goes on. Not entirely sure about the direction my blogging will go. Have a lot of thoughts and ideas that are on my mind, so I need to try to focus on a few things to start with and see where it all goes from there.

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Waiting to see what will come

Most days I’m good and I have come a long way in the last year. I still have moments in some days that I’m sad and/or lonely. I have never been one to be lonely, nor have I ever needed anyone and I have always been fine on my own, but now a part of me is missing.

I miss the love, friendship and companionship if the man I fell in love with. I wish things had never changed. I loved my life and it was finally complete with him in it. Now that he’s gone and even though we are talking and I am unsure of what our future holds and I know that things will never be the same.

It is still very difficult at times for me to understand. This man who I thought loved me so, has left me questioning if his love was real. I know in my heart that he did love me, as what we had can’t be faked. Sadly, he has things to work out within himself and what we had may never be again. I have accepted this but the hurt still cuts deep. When I see two people in love who are happy and truly enjoying each other, I feel the pain and emptiness in my heart that was for a brief moment in my life, full of love for a man who made me feel so alive, whole and complete. All I can do is wonder if I will ever be lucky enough to have that again someday.

So as days go by, I just move forward towards an uncertain future, not knowing where life will take me. I’m just sad to think of what could have been and wondering if there are any good guys left in this world?

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What a difference a year makes….

I have been absent for months now, but there have been some big events with my current situation and a roller coaster of emotions that have followed. That being said, I am in a good place, but still very unsure of my/our future. Hopefully in time, it will be a happy ending.

Well a lot has changed since this time last year. Just over a year ago, I found myself in a deep depression since my husband just left one day went I went to work. It has taken antidepressants, a few therapy sessions, many trips to the gym and several months, but I have gradually gotten back to a “new” normal life without him.

It was not a life that I had ever thought I would be living, but here I was. Afterall, I had found the most wonderful man in the entire world. He was everything I could have ever wanted. After twelve long months, he finally reached out to me. He was in one of his darkest times and I was glad that I was there for him to talk to. Had I not been there, I don’t think he would be here today. We have discussed him coming home, but there would need to be therapy and medication to help move to a more normal life for both of us.

My husband suffers from depression, most likely bipolar depression. Something that he has finally accepted and willing to get help. This is no surprise to me, as I had done research on depression since this whole ordeal began about six to eight weeks after his knee replacement surgery in August of 2016. I have blogged about this in a previous blog.

He has an appointment coming up and we are moving toward a more positive place. We have a long way to go and I don’t know what the future holds for either of us. I have had to push the love and feelings that I have for him so far down so I would no longer feel the hurt. I am still very guarded and have not let and these feelings come to the surface. He has some things he needs to do for himself, but he knows that I am here for him, to support and help him in any way he needs me.

I hope to have a positive update real soon.

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Sting of the Pain

Another week/weekend has come and gone and with each passing day, week and month I move further away from the hurt and pain that I went through almost ten months ago. At times it seems so long ago, like a bad dream and at times not real.  Most of the time, I am good about pushing the hurt down, keeping my memories superficial and skin deep to keep the pain away.  Despite these efforts, I think of him of every day.  My mind replays and analyzes every moment, every word/s said and action/s that went on between us for the last two years.  When I let my heart and head go back to that horrible day and relive the days and weeks since he left, it is very clear that the hurt is still there just below the surface and I still get the same sick feeling in my stomach.  I don’t blog about these things to get attention or for anyone to pity or feel sorry for me.  I share them in hopes of helping others out there that have gone through or may be going through a similar experience and to let them know that they are not alone.

I’m a pretty good judge of character and I’ve asked myself so many times, what did I miss?  Where there “red flags” that I did not see or didn’t want to see?  Clearly the answer is no.  Had my family and friends not seen how this man treated me, loved me and made me the center of his world, I honestly would think I had lost my mind and was it all just a lie.  My mind goes back and forth wondering if he really loved me and no matter how hard I try to tell myself maybe it wasn’t real, I know in my heart and head it was very real.  He has said some things that have been very hurtful since he left and it has been devastating to me to have been his world and so important to him to wake up one day, him gone and me being reduced to nothing.  His words and actions, make me believe that he wouldn’t care if I died today.  He has become someone that I do not know.  It is all very difficult to process because his leaving was so unexpected. I know that it has nothing to do with me and he has told me that, but it doesn’t make the hurt any less.  Even though I know it is not me, I have thoughts at times that may be I wasn’t good enough or maybe if I had done something different he would still be here, but I know none of this is true.  I have always been a very positive, strong and independent person, not needing anyone to make me complete.  I still feel this way, except I know how much it hurts your heart and soul to lose someone that you love with all that is in you.  I always thought that people were weak when they couldn’t deal with the separation and/or divorce of a spouse or loved one.  I now have a understanding how hard it really is when you still love that person and you aren’t ready to let go.  Just to be clear, I am talking about love and not co-dependency or obsession.  From the day he left, I have not been the same and have found myself in very unfamiliar territory.  I was unable to cope with the situation and I found myself on anti-depressants and medication to help with anxiety.  These medications saved my life and I am so glad that I was able to realize that I needed help.  Without them, I probably would not be here today.  Do not ever think you are weak or don’t need help.

Everyone who has lost someone they loved, has to grieve.  The time each person needs to grieve is a unique and personal journey with no finish line.  It’s not a race, and while some may only grieve a short time, others may need much more time to work through the 7 stages and in no particular order.  Don’t let anyone make you feel like you grieved long enough and that you should be okay by now.  If you’re not that’s okay.  Take all the time you need.  We grieve because we love and love is a part of all of us.  Love can change but does not end.

The 7 stages we go through are shock & denial, pain & guilt, anger & bargaining, depression, reflection, loneliness, the upward turn, reconstruction & working through and acceptance & hope.  They are part of the framework that makes up our learning how to live without the one we lost.  To grieve well, depends solely on the individual experience and listening to your own reality.  Each love is unique and no stages are capable of containing all the experiences of love and pain.

I have gone through many of these stages, some more than once.  It is clear that I have not fully worked through some of these.  Remember, it’s not a race and you need to take all the time needed to work through a process each one.  Trying to find a way for it all to make sense can be like a dog chasing his tail.  My thoughts go round and round trying to figure out what happened and why, and I know that I may never find the answer.  This is what makes this process so difficult.  We all want closure, as this helps us make sense of what happened and helps us move on.  Without closure, we have to find a way to let go and move on.  

Letting go and moving on is an individual journey and you have to find constructive ways to process what has happened so you can move forward in life.  This can be through therapy, exercise or talking to family and/or friends.  For me, music is a big part of my life.  Music can take us away from all the clutter in our lives.  We can escape from reality for a moment in a song.  Songs remind us of loved ones and take us back to special times in our lives.  Songs can also stir up memories and emotions that can make us sad but can also give us encouragement.  I listen to my music every day on my way to and from work, at work and while at the gym.  Some songs are still too painful to listen to, while others give me hope in inspiration.  One that has come up on my playlist several times recently is this song by Sara Evans.  It is almost as if I wrote this song and it couldn’t explain my life at this point any more perfect than this song.  So for now, it’s the music that’s helping me let go.

 

Woke up late today and I still feel the sting of the pain

But I brushed my teeth anyway

I got dressed through the mess and put a smile on my face

I got a little bit stronger

 

Riding in the car to work and I’m

Trying to ignore the hurt so I

Turned on the radio,

Stupid song made me think of you

I listened to it for minute

But then I changed it

I’m getting a little bit stronger,

Just a little bit stronger

 

And I’m done hoping

That we could work it out

I’m done with how it feels,

Spinning my wheels

Letting you drag my heart around

And, oh, I’m done thinking

You could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same

But I’m telling myself I’ll be okay

Even on my weakest days

I get a little bit stronger

 

It doesn’t happen overnight but you

Turn around and a month’s gone by

And you realize you haven’t cried

I’m not giving you a hour or a second or another minute longer

I’m busy getting stronger

 

And I’m done hoping

That we can work it out

I’m done with how it feels,

Spinning my wheels

Letting you drag my heart around

And, oh, I’m done thinking,

You could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same

But I’m telling myself I’ll be okay

Even on my weakest days,

I get a little bit stronger

I get a little bit stronger

 

Getting along without you baby

I’m better off without you baby

How does it feel without me baby?

I’m getting stronger without you baby

 

And I’m done hoping we could work it out

I’m done with how it feels,

Spinning my wheels

Letting you drag my heart around

And, oh, I’m done thinking

That you could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same

But I’m telling myself I’ll be okay

Even on my weakest days

I get a little bit stronger

I get a little bit stronger

 

And just a little bit stronger

A little bit,

A little bit,

A little bit stronger

Get a little bit stronger

broken-heart.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart

 

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A little bit about what inspired me and why I blog

I was inspired to do this because of a recent life changing event. It was such an eye opening time for me that for the first time in my life, I truly had a real understanding of depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I shared how this time of my life came about in last night’s blog called Gone Guy. I underestimated how difficult this blog would be to write. It took me almost 4 days to complete. Having to recall and relive the most heartbreak I have ever been through just a little over 8 months ago brought back a lot of emotions. My next blog will be about this time, how I got where I am today and what I think my future looks like.

My goal as a blogger was to blog every Monday and Friday consistently, if not more.  I feel that my best writing comes when the inspiration hits me. This could be anytime of the day or night. I’m no James Patterson but I try to put something interesting and worth the read into my blogs. I do some of my best thinking during my drive to and from work as well as during work. As far as topics, I have a list that I continue to add to but as for what I chose to write about, well I let it just pick itself. It’s what comes to and inspires me at the time. I’m always open to suggestions so feel free to recommend something that you wish to discuss.

I am a bit OCD and I try to put out a decent and hopefully interesting blog and not just a bunch of empty rambling. This is what makes the Monday Friday thing difficult. If it’s not how I want it to be then I won’t post it until I’m happy with it. I’m learning as I go and I’m sure I will make adjustments and changes as I gain more knowledge of this whole thing.

I like that I am able to share my life and stories. I hope it will make someone’s life a little better, maybe giving them hope at a time when they have none.
I welcome comments and questions. Who knows, we could find ourselves in an interesting discussion.