Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same thing ! If that makes any sense? Did you know that there are 2.4 million grandparents raising grandchildren just in America alone? Those numbers are just mind-blowing to me. Raising our grandkids is not where we want to be with our lives, we were ready to start the next phase but instead our kids hit the repeat button only this time its twice as hard because of our age and because of their nonsense!!
I guess I sound angry, and I am! Oh, and I have resentments. That doesn't mean I don't love my daughter. Waiting for the other shoe to drop is stressful. Wondering if the next news we will hear will be good, or horrible.
Most recently, I kinda had a little meltdown, I had to pull myself together. But I brushed the dust off, located my big girl panties...lol, and regrouped.
In closing I would like to leave you with this thought. Tough love has a very fine line , that can cross over into something quite the opposite of love! We should treat our words as if they were our last. You can not let your words leave someone feeling unloved or abandoned.
You are doing a beautiful thing raising your grandkids. I agree completely that kindness does not in any way represent weakness. More often, those who are kindest are also the most courageous.
Thank you for the words of encouragement, I guess we all just got to "keep on keeping on!"
Hang in there, Gail! I appreciate your sacrifice for those kids and society.