This week has been one of those weeks. One of those weeks that has tested my understanding in parenting, being a spouse, and being in recovery.
My daughter decided to ‘go off’ this week over a punishment from a choice she made and kicked in our bedroom door while we were gone to retrieve the items taken from her. She verbally threatened her mother and I again. You know what I did? I took my wife and son, looked her in the eye, and said…’Goodbye’. She asked where I thought we were going and I told her we were leaving while she sat there. She told me she was going to destroy the house. I told her to have at it and we left.
I came home and nothing had been done. I looked at the door and looked at her and reminded myself that in 16 months she will be gone. I keep feeling a level of guilt looking at it in this manner, but this week’s past actions confirm why I do it. I can’t wait for the day she turns 18, because that will be the day she is asked to leave.
I never thought it would be like this. Never in a million years. I often wonder what went wrong. It seemed really to kick in when she was 13. I don’t know, I could go crazy over it, and I’m not.
For those who know..We have tried medicine, psychiatry, religion, and so on. She is just hell bent on living her own life, don’t worry, she will.
Work has been up and down. Getting ready for the holiday’s has went well. House is decorated and some shopping done.
I picked up a new guy to sponsor. The other guy I ‘sponsor’ hasn’t called but twice and I think just wants to tell others that he has a sponsor. This new fellow went to a workshop (AA) yesterday on how to work the 12 Steps in one day. I laughed.
There used to be this old way of thinking that this is beneficial. It has been my experience that it is not. I told him that if anything he got some information that will be useful for when we do stepwork but this one day seminar on how to feel better faster just doesn’t work with me. That it is nearly impossible to take someone who has no experience living clean for any length of time and ask them to take a ‘Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory’ as found in Step 4. When I had 2 months clean how searching and fearless do you think I was? I had no clue what a ‘Defect of Character’ or a ‘Shortcoming’ was. I had no intention of making amends and certainly wasn’t going to pray or meditiate. This is just an example, but hopefully you get my point. There is a saying in recovery…’Time takes Time’.
I need to do something positive today other than doing laundry and watching football. I feel like I am spinning my wheels as of late. Truth be told, most of the time I am tired and uninspired which is a bad combination. I feel like I’ve lost something, and I miss it.
I hope this post finds you well.
Bob D.
Beyond The End of the Road's Blog 
Comments on: "One Day to Feel Better-Faster" (8)
I am sorry you are feeling uninspired. Just remember, its been 5 years since you discovered NA. Maybe its time to add something else to your life in addition to NA. It doesn’t matter what it is, just something you are passionate about.
On drugs every day is the same day and that works just fine. As sober individuals, we need to keep things interesting or we plateau. Just my usual 2 cents.
Freaking Lorna… I’m so sorry about your door. How much will it cost to fix it?
I figure about $100.
Your right I need to find something more, I’m just not sure what the more is.
Thanks Elz
It’s tough to hold the line like that and also admit to challenging feelings of wanting your child out of the house. This is the first time I’ve read your blog but it sounds like you have a lot of courage in the face of a difficult situation. I agree that it might be good to find something else you feel passionate about. It is really helpful for me to have neutral or positive people in my life that have nothing to do with what worries me. Warm Regards-
Thanks so much for your comment and support. Please drop by again.
Best Regards.
Bob – – – doesn’t seem fair that you have to deal with crazy, self-centered/absorbed, floundering teenagers, on top of your own stuff. What’s happening with your daughter at school? Does she have friends? How’s she doing academically? Is she ‘connected’ to a school counselor, teacher, activity? She may be feeling some isolation and difficulty in adjusting to her new life, herself. Agghhhh – these teenage years are so painful – for everyone involved. Is there any kind of parent support group – in the community, at school, you could access? It helps to share horror stories with other parents. Al-Anon is a great place for this. Is there an Al-Anon group where you are? Try it, as a resource. Al-Anon has taught me more about building healthy relationships than any book, therapist, or parenting class. Just a thought. Thinking of you. Hang in there, DAD. We’ve all been there. Peggy
She is involved. Tennis and a new sport, ‘Girls Power Lifting’. She has friends, one stayed the night last night. She is just determined to make it as difficult as possible, I believe, because we moved, and she has her own issues at this age. I remind myself daily that one day I will look back on this and possibly laugh. Today just isn’t that day.
Bob… congratulations on five years. … Time has become one of my higher powers. My sponsor tells me I need “time in grade”–the way they say in organizations, you need to spend a certain amount of time at your current position before moving on. I know the early 12-step folks moved through all 12 steps within a couple of weeks, and it helped them… I did the steps my first time in a couple of months, and it helped me, but now I’ve been advised to let the steps live me. … Thanks for your post. –G
Thanks for your comment and stopping by. My best to you and your’s.