Hello again everyone, well I have read all your posts since I went away and updated myself with how things are with you all.
Forstly, welcome molly, I'm so sorry about your terrible situation, thankfully you have found this thread where everyone has family problems and estrangement, and you will find the most caring support here. It's sad that we need a thread like this, but we do, and it helps.
I made a few notes last night as I read through all your posts, just so I can say something to you all. I was struck by the many posts saying what a difficult time of year this is for us all, many unhappy anniversary dates, plus Christmas, we're now in the Christmas month.
I will say Mr M and me had a wonderful holiday, we visited five different Far East countries, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore. It did us both the world of good, new places, new friends on ship, and far away from our troubles. We came back refreshed and positive, sadly that that has been wiped away in less than a week, but more of that later.
yogagirl what beautiful children! You must have been so proud of them, and loved them so much. Your sadness is coming through so strongly in all your posts, I feel for you so much. You were so hopeful for our reconciliation after our daughter behaved so nicely on her Nana's birthday, but it is not to be.
Rhinestone you are having such a difficult time just now, I think like the others, your illness is most likely to be stress. Maybe councilling would help, or some yoga or other relaxing activity. I realise it sounds so trite, because nothing will ever remove the grief. It's just as if someone has died, but worse really, because we know they haven't. You ask me (way back just as I was off on the cruise) if we offered to babysit. Yes we did, and to help in any way we could, and used to do before, we did so much, maybe that's the problem, we did too much. I suspect many of us may have done that. The trouble for us is our over controlling SIL doesn't like people, can't cope with family life at all (had a very restricted family himself, only child of overly doting mother, and little or no contact with wider family) and to top it all, both my daughter and SIL are very jealous of our son and his child.
Celebyou have had a very bad year, and reading your posts I see how you are struggling. You ask me about my antidepressants, I've been on them for years, but recently had to increase the dose, and it has helped. I was in a marvellous state of mind when I returned, but our daughter and DIL have made sure this week that I'm no longer feeling so good. But celeb I'm in a better place than I was, with the increased dosage, so I would say stick with it, it takes 2-4 weeks to start to feel better, but it truly does help. If the side effects are just too bad, your doctor could try a different drug, but believe me, they do work.
The photo of you with your family is lovely, you all look happy together, and yes, your son looks like you.