I’m slowly learning I have to prioritize myself. That’s hard to do because I don’t like being selfish, but perhaps taking care or prioritizing yourself is different from being selfish.
It’s not that I just want to see my kids, I want to raise and parent them in as normal of an environment that I can create. Currently, the teenager has been a challenge. She doesn’t want to stay any nights at her father’s house anymore (right after I bought her a new bed). She wants to focus on quality time as opposed to quantity. If I force her to stay with me and follow what’s in the divorce decree, she’ll just resent me. But, at the same time, my ex and I are the parents and we should be setting the rules. My life is falling apart. Correction, my life has fallen apart.
I hope the steroid epidural starts to kick in. It’s extremely challenging just to sit down or get up. Now, I’m having trouble walking. Bending over is almost impossible. Heck, things are so bad I had to purchase a pair of those reacher extender thingies that many elderly people use. Thankfully driving isn’t a problem, but getting in and out of the car is.
I had brunch with a friend recently. His entre was an egg sandwich, but he ate it with a milkshake. Not only do I question the consumption of that frozen dairy product in the morning, but I don’t think I could consume a milkshake with a breakfast meal. There has to be some sort of unwritten rule about this.
If you previously traveled to Europe without a visa, you will now need to apply for authorization through the European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS, before visiting.
Once you are approved for travel, the authorization entitles visitors to stay in European countries that require ETIAS for up to 90 days within any 180-day period and travelers must be in possession of a valid ETIAS during their entire stay.
With the attorney general’s impeachment trial set for September, supporters have risen to Paxton’s defense, fueled by the deep pockets of oil-rich West Texas donors.
I almost had a real conversation with my ex about everything. She agreed to sit in on one of my counseling sessions. However, I could only ask three questions and had to follow some rules. Here was the format of our “conversation” per my counselor:
“We will cover your 3 questions first. She will answer your questions without any follow-up questions from you. Hopefully, some of your questions will be answered in her letter. She will then read her letter. She doesn’t want any answers or questions from her letter.“
I felt like this was basically me attending a Zoom meeting but being put on mute the whole time after I asked my questions.
Overall, I think this will be the start of something to build on. It wasn’t a real conversation or the civil discourse I was hoping for, but I got to hear and express just about everything I wanted. There are some loose ends, disagreements, and hurt feelings, but for the first time, I really feel I can let go of some of the heavy things I’ve been carrying.
