This totally hit me in the guts as I desperately try not to be Linda all the time. All of these parenting things I read and have to scroll past so often don't blow I fuse.
But also the surveys! We moved last year and our house is a specified Labour statistics survey house which means we have no choice but to complete a survey on work every three months. Every time they ask me if I work. I say "I am at home full time with my son with special needs" and they ask "do you want to work?" and every time I say "yes I would desperately like to work but it's impossible right now" and then they say "do you see yourself working in the next 2 years?" And I say "I hope so but don't think it's realistic" and they say "ok thank you, talk to you again in three months". And I hang up feeling deflated all over again.
“I was completing an online survey to give feedback on a company’s mindfulness and meditation content (in other words, I was ignoring most of their advice and mindlessly procrastinating on my writing and life goals).”
— loved the joke at the start.
I also really appreciate the piece itself, there is something frustrating to me about the way some things are classified and categorised and others aren’t — the lines always seem to arbitrary and worse still alienating.
Thanks, Michael! The categorization always rubs me the wrong way, obviously, and I also have to laugh at myself for getting so irritated by these “innocent” questions :)
You say things so much better than I ever could, or perhaps more accurately you say things with more consciousness than I currently have. I too feel excluded. I too feel invisible, and I also acknowledge the grief that is ongoing, but not as bone-melting as in the beginning. I practise self-compassion and note when my temper is triggered. Like today, when I thought of a same-age friend retiring while I'm still raising two adult "young children". My forever children. But, my life is not theirs. Mine has and will continue to go it's own way and I can find happiness in that. Occasionally, and with thoughts of more often. Take care and thanks for writing.
Thank you, Wanda, yes this is exactly the up/down I feel with my “forever” child. I can be content in this life & I also get these reminders all the time of how separate we are. I really appreciate your reading & commenting - you, too, take care
This totally hit me in the guts as I desperately try not to be Linda all the time. All of these parenting things I read and have to scroll past so often don't blow I fuse.
But also the surveys! We moved last year and our house is a specified Labour statistics survey house which means we have no choice but to complete a survey on work every three months. Every time they ask me if I work. I say "I am at home full time with my son with special needs" and they ask "do you want to work?" and every time I say "yes I would desperately like to work but it's impossible right now" and then they say "do you see yourself working in the next 2 years?" And I say "I hope so but don't think it's realistic" and they say "ok thank you, talk to you again in three months". And I hang up feeling deflated all over again.
OMG Melanie, every 3 months… my inner Linda would really be coming out!!
Yes I think she is impossible to contain in these moments haha
An excellent read, forgot to write that 🥰
Thank you!!
“I was completing an online survey to give feedback on a company’s mindfulness and meditation content (in other words, I was ignoring most of their advice and mindlessly procrastinating on my writing and life goals).”
— loved the joke at the start.
I also really appreciate the piece itself, there is something frustrating to me about the way some things are classified and categorised and others aren’t — the lines always seem to arbitrary and worse still alienating.
Thanks Robin :)
Thanks, Michael! The categorization always rubs me the wrong way, obviously, and I also have to laugh at myself for getting so irritated by these “innocent” questions :)
You say things so much better than I ever could, or perhaps more accurately you say things with more consciousness than I currently have. I too feel excluded. I too feel invisible, and I also acknowledge the grief that is ongoing, but not as bone-melting as in the beginning. I practise self-compassion and note when my temper is triggered. Like today, when I thought of a same-age friend retiring while I'm still raising two adult "young children". My forever children. But, my life is not theirs. Mine has and will continue to go it's own way and I can find happiness in that. Occasionally, and with thoughts of more often. Take care and thanks for writing.
Thank you, Wanda, yes this is exactly the up/down I feel with my “forever” child. I can be content in this life & I also get these reminders all the time of how separate we are. I really appreciate your reading & commenting - you, too, take care