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I have committed a moral crime. One that serves a life long sentence I was suspect of this sentence before I placedŅ.yet I placed. My decision, no pressure nor influence by anyone. I have been serving my sentence as a model prisoner for many years now thou no matter what.I will never be released. This is my home.
What a chameleon I have become. People in my life regard me as strong, independent, successful, a wife and mother envied by others, an awesome daughter and sister, an aunt any child would desire, and so many other things.
Those who know my crime know that only a select few will enter on visiting day.
Every now and then, when I feel that I may have done enough œwork to earn myself a day-pass. I would test my sentence and share my crime with a friend or loved one. Sometimes I wonder if I do share in an effort to share myself or is it really to confirm that I will never be released.
This is not prison, there are no guards, no barsԅ..apparently I can leave whenever I desire? Really, I can? Truth is I do not need bars, guards, or prison because I am the best condemner there is. No one can punish me like I can. No one can say anything that I have not told myself. No one can think anything that I have not thought of myself.
I do have jealousy for those who have been released but at the end of the day I truly believe that they are foolin themselves. Perhaps if I am so good at foolinҒ everyone else, I surely can fool myself. Can I fake it until I make itӔ? Have you? How, litterally?
A disclaimer..no worries, I am not in distressŅ..just venting :eyebrows:
Menu - I'm sorry, I wish I could make everything better. You are not a bad person - you did what you felt you needed to do.
I'm sorry,
Dickons
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I too think of myself as serving a life sentence. I don't condem myself. I know that I made the right decision for my son. However, I also know that other people will judge me harshly for being a birthmother so I feel that I have to keep that a secret for the rest of my life. I feel like having to keep this secret is a life sentence. Also, the son that I placed is grown now. I have reached out to him but he has, so far, refused to have any contact with me. Sometimes I feel like he is imposing a life sentence on me by denying me the chance to meet him and talk to him. I love him. I did the only thing I could do for him at the time of his birth. I thought about him and missed him every day of his life. I am afraid that I may have to feel this pain for the rest of my life if he does not come around. I do not feel that it is fair that I should be subjected to this much pain for the rest of my life because I was young and dumb and did the best I could in a bad situation. I know that we feel like we are serving a life sentence for different reasons. I just wanted you to know that there is someone else out here who is in the cell next to yours.
Dickons
Menu - I'm sorry, I wish I could make everything better. You are not a bad person - you did what you felt you needed to do.
I'm sorry,
Dickons
I can only echo what Dickons has said. I bet at the time you felt like you were caught between a rock and a hard place.
Well, the only positive thing I can think of right now is at least we don't have to serve our time in solitary confinement. We have each other, ladies....and that's so incredibly important.
It is a life sentence...at least it has been for me. Who knew that the decisions a 16-year-old girl would make on behalf of her baby would have such serious lifelong repercussions? I certainly didn't...
RavenSong
It is a life sentence...at least it has been for me. Who knew that the decisions a 16-year-old girl would make on behalf of her baby would have such serious lifelong repercussions? I certainly didn't...
None of us did.... and no one bothered to tell us either.
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I agree with the life sentence sentiment. Even though I did the best I could with the information and experience I had at the time, I was completely caught off guard by the maternal instinct and love that came with his birth. I think it is the (unrequited?)love we feel that keeps our chains on. I've always been pretty open about my son, so it wasn't a matter of hiding him and my decision that has held me back, it's that I can't stop loving him, pining for him. It's having all this emotion towards him and no place to put it. It's also the guilt I feel towards how I felt during the pregnancy. I was terrified and alone the entire time. I did not want to be pregnant and it wasn't until I held him in my arms that it all clicked for me. I have such guilt over the the things I thought during pregnancy. That's where I'm stuck, that's why I am serving this life sentence.
Even though I don't post often, I am incredibly grateful for all of you. I have learned a lot and am so happy that there are so many of you that are willing to share your experiences so we can help each other heal.
lokey112
I am incredibly grateful for all of you. I have learned a lot and am so happy that there are so many of you that are willing to share your experiences so we can help each other heal.
Ditto, that means you too lokey
I too have felt in a "prison" of sorts, largely of my own making. Any time I have opened up to someone about the daughter I gave up, I have regretted it. Even after reunion, I am very careful about who to talk to [although I am a little more open now than before, mostly by necessity... to explain trips, etc.]. I still feel like any "angst" or difficulties I am having with the reunion is a topic almost no one wants to hear about. sigh. So that part of the sentence is not self-imposed.
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soprano
I still feel like any "angst" or difficulties I am having with the reunion is a topic almost no one wants to hear about. sigh..
A close friend has explained to me that she feels that there is nothing she can say, almost like a death, what can you say? As much as she wants me to open-up....she gets very nervous, not knowing....but knowing that I will note her immediate response and shut-down as soon as her response does not match my expectations.......yikes, that surely does not make any sense!
That is the great part of connecting with other first parents............you cannot begin to comprehend unless you've been there. :confused:
That is the great part of connecting with other first parents............you cannot begin to comprehend unless you've been there.
Absolutely. No one else really gets it, no matter how much they may care.
I had no idea how difficult it would be. My daughter turned 6 last Monday. When she was born, I honestly believed that I would mourn for awhile, but that I would just go on with my life, happy in the knowledge that she was happy and cared for. I never imagined the pain I would feel every single day, or that I would grieve every year around her birthday.
I don't post a lot either, but like lokey, I am so grateful that there is a place like this where we birthmoms can support each other.
Menu/Tam, don't be so hard on yourselves. I am 31 years in and still trying to "believe" that I did the "right" thing. Yes, Bson is healthy, says he's happy, and I eventually married bdad who never seemed to look back. We have 2 other beautiful adult children but that has never been "enough" for me, as my family reminds me. It is a prison, and there is no parole. Solitary confinement, or not, as much as I accept and am grateful for my other inmates, nothing eases the pain. Once accepted though, it does get easier, or should I say, I get better at hiding my feelings.
keds
Menu/Tam, don't be so hard on yourselves. I am 31 years in and still trying to "believe" that I did the "right" thing. Yes, Bson is healthy, says he's happy, and I eventually married bdad who never seemed to look back. We have 2 other beautiful adult children but that has never been "enough" for me, as my family reminds me. It is a prison, and there is no parole. Solitary confinement, or not, as much as I accept and am grateful for my other inmates, nothing eases the pain. Once accepted though, it does get easier, or should I say, I get better at hiding my feelings.
(((((Keds)))))
Kate, this is so weird... I was just thinking about you last night---I've been worried about you lately. I am SO glad you showed up today, my friend!!
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