Releasing the past in order to find myself

Monday, February 17, 2014

A "Grandparents" Prayer

MIL posted this on her FB page yesterday and it instantly made my stomach knot up:



Sure, it seems nice enough.  She followed it with a big "AMEN!"  But the thing is, she has no action to follow up this prayer. 

The bottom section, in particular is the one that got me:  "May they look back upon me with fond memories and may they never forget that they were and always will be deeply loved by me." 

First, these little "grandparents quotes" on FB drive me crazy as it is.  They often seem to be less about the child and more about the grandparent.  Sort of "may they always remember how AWESOME I was!!"  They seem to be praying more about what they want someone else to do than what they want God to help them with.  MIL seems to have this mentality a lot.  She's told me many times before how she's "prayed" that God would make someone do what she wanted them to do.  For example, she's prayed that one of her sons would choose the college that she wanted him to go to.   While, on the surface, that may not seem like a big deal, I see it as just more of her need for control.  Why not pray that he chooses the college that would best suit him?  That he find it inside of himself to do what is best for him?   Why not pray that people make the decisions in life that are best for them and not the ones that MIL THINKS they should make?  Why is she in the middle of it all?

Why not pray that she is the type of grandmother that will be remembered fondly?  Or, I pray that I serve my grandchildren well so that they will always see that I love them?  Or, please help me God to give all of my love to my grandchildren so that they will never question that I loved them? 

Maybe I'm nitpicking.  But this seems more about getting a response out of the kids than actually being the type of grandparent she wants to be remembered as. 

And the thing is, she's NOT that grandmother.  Fond memories?  She never has authentic conversations with my kids.  She rarely gets down and plays with them.  She shows NO genuine interest in who they are.  When all four of her grandkids are together, she bounces between them, trying to always be "where the actions is".   She controls their interactions and tries to force "bonding" between them.  She doesn't actually create experiences in which my kids will remember her.  She doesn't try to do anything special for or with them.  She expects DH and I to come up with those plans.  For all my NM's faults, she at least tries to do special things with my kids.  She asks them questions and tries to get to know them.  She plays endlessly on the floor with them.  (And I'm sure it's not all for the right reasons, but for now -and I watch her like a hawk- she's been good with them.)  She looks like a perfect grandmother compared to MIL.

And the "love them deeply"?  I don't think MIL knows what deep love is.  She is so emotionally disconnected it's scary.  She puts on a good image, but there is NO substance behind it.  It's all about sucking love from her grandkids.  I can almost physically see her sucking attention from them in a one-way flow. 

Earlier in the day, MIL had posted a picture of the Valentine's card she had gotten from my niece and nephew, captioned "The best Valentine card ever!". (She took a picture of it and posted the picture).  Well, let's examine that.  The card was clearly ordered from an online print shop.  My SIL used the same professional portraits she has used on her Christmas card and as MIL's Christmas gift.  So she just "recycled" the same old card into something "new".   And I'm not trying to be critical, but two years ago my three year old spent tons of time crafting a beautiful card for MIL and FIL.  He meticulously cut out the heart (which is so hard for a young kid) and decorated it and colored it.  So, really, is this "new" card the "best valentine EVER".  I'm sure MIL doesn't even remember my son's card.  And I'm sure she wasn't trying to slight me and my son.  But it just shows her pathology to me.  She is constantly proclaiming things the "best ever" with no regard that it leaves no room for the "others" to be good.  She's told my son that he's the "cutest kid ever!" right in front of his cousin.  Really?  How the hell is that supposed to make my niece feel?  But she doesn't think of that and does it constantly.  Her insensitivity is appalling. 

This is also the woman who doesn't bother to send any Valentines cards to her own grandkids.  She doesn't remember them at all.  She did once...she bought a cheap box of kids school Valentines and sent them out to her grandkids.  (Not that I'm begrudging the cheapness of it, but this woman will spend tons of money on a bottle of wine or a nice meal, so it's not out of her realm to send a real card to her grandkids.)  I've told DH that it seems "out of sight, out of mind" with her.  She never sends anything to the kids, never gives them anything without being present to "get credit" for it (or actually, she has, but she was forced to do it in those few situations).  Both NM, my step mother, and my husband's grandmother (MIL's mother) always send cards to the kids.  Most of them remember them at Easter too.  NM sends cards (and money - 20 bucks for the college fund and 5 to buy a toy- and stickers) on every holiday.  She knows the kids love mail and sends it every time.  But not MIL.  I don't think she's every sent a damn thing (except the school valentines). 

So, maybe MIL, maybe try BEING the grandmother you want to be.  While you are at it, quite telling me you "don't want to be that MIL" and be the MIL you actually think you should be.  Quite worrying about how everyone is going to remember you and start worrying about creating good memories of yourself.  Quite "praying" that people remember you in certain ways and that they remember your love, and actual be the person people remember fondly and loving those people.

12 comments:

  1. "They often seem to be less about the child and more about the grandparent. Sort of "may they always remember how AWESOME I was!!" Yes, that's how I see it too. It's very self-centered, and putting all the onus on the other person and -like you said- NOT in making themselves the sort of person that would deserve to be remembered. They want the glory without doing the work. Just because they're grandparents, or parents or whatever. It's entitlement, isn't it?

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    1. Yes, entitlement!! I hadn't thought of it in that way. Thanks for the validation. I shouldn't have let this stupid post get the best of me, but it just chapped my ass. ;)
      I also thought it was a bit creepy, just focusing on the person's "legacy" after they are dead. She's not close to dead, so why focus on that?
      I come across these "good feeling on the surface but actually very shallow emotion" quote-y things all the time on FB and they drive me crazy.

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    2. Hide her posts or block her. I finally had to do that with my aunt & my cousin.....I got tired of feeling sick & angry at there negative comments after I would post something.

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    3. Yes, I'm getting to that point. Luckily, she doesn't post much. I initially ignored her "friend request" several years ago. Stupidly, I accepted her SIL and another great aunt, and I think she got annoyed that they saw pictures of the kids and she didn't, so she requested me again. I didn't feel like dealing with the drama of saying "no" again (it was a really bad time to pick a fight, right before Christmas. Clearly she picked that time on purpose) so I accepted her. I block her from most of my stuff, feeding her crumbs to throw her off the scent. Blocking her posts is next. Although...to be honest, I do appreciate the access to seeing her "true colors" shine through.

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    4. I get the true color thing but I think you already know it all too well. I guess what I don't get from my own family who post the negative comments are coming from two individuals I have not seen in years. Why be negative if you really don't know me? It just gets really old and trying to be positive on what can be a negative social site becomes draining. I think everyone's true colors are seen now because of social media....kinda sad & at times narcissistic.

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    5. I was not implying you were narcissistic if that came across in my reply. I'm only saying how it seems to make it shine their true colors more so by social media.

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    6. Don't worry, Anon, I didn't think you were implying I was narcissistic ;). I get what you are saying, and I think exposing myself to seeing these things can really bring me down. I don't actually think MIL was directing any of this at me. It's just her hypocrisy that gets to me. And I do see that a lot on social media. Lying and hypocrisy (intentional hypocrisy). If I didn't find value in connecting with distant family and old friends, I would go off of it all.

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  2. "...actual be the person people remember fondly and loving those people."

    Love it!

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  3. I can't stand such posts either, especially, when you know the behaviors that don't follow them up.

    You highlighted a very good point that I hadn't picked up with such types of FB posts: "They seem to be praying more about what they want someone else to do than what they want God to help them with." They want someone else to do the work, to control - even after death.

    The best "----" ever is common speak among my Ns as well. I thought I was nit picking as well and I tried to push those thoughts aside because I am taking it too critically - something I have been reminded of that by Ns. But FB posts go to everyone you are connected to, it is communication that should be respected with the same communication as face to face, etc. I have had this on FB and said to my face and I have felt what I have done or given was being criticized. Plus, it does create a sort of competition. FiL does this between me and SiL - subtle references - he will tell us of SiL/BiL and then he will do this back to them. SiL/BiL are so competitive with gifts when it comes to FiL. That type of talk creates a divide and conquer approach to it. The slight might not be to criticize but then what is it trying to do? Is she trying to tell SiL that she is thankful, surely FB is not the best way to do that, telephone, e-mail.

    The other aspect of FB that I realized by what you said "asking others to do something". FB is filled with messages like that, it is a great way to hide the transfer of responsibility or to create an excuse for hurtful behaviors. It is so weird because the same friends that respond to an e-mail 3 years late or get back in touch after 10 years are the same ones posting the quote about "best friends are the ones that you can start where you left off after years have gone by, they understand life is busy, etc." (something like that). And I don't agree with that statement. Was it a way to subtly communicate that I should not take offense to their not staying in touch - control how I feel about it. I am learning that with a lot of Ns that FB is yet another channel for them to transfer responsibility and not take responsibility for their actions - similar to face to face.

    Your breakdown of it helped me see some missed stuff in little things that are in the back of my head.
    xxTR

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    1. Hi TR, FB can be such a tricky medium. On one hand, it's allowed me to connect with family and friends that I might not have ever seen again (just due to distance or having moved past high school). It's fun for me to connect to cousins and friends in that way. And I take it for what it is (I've seen that "friends pick up" one too. I agree, it covers a lot of people who just don't make ANY effort.)
      But it's hard to watch the dog and pony show that so many people put on. The lies, the fabrications, the exaggerations. The endless "selfies". I try to be very selective in my FB friends (I don't accept everyone and I rarely request), but a few of them have snuck in. And it's hard to swallow the endless "image maintenance" that they do.
      I hadn't thought about MIL wanting to thank SIL for the card via FB.....probably because I doubt that was her intent. I'm guessing she was using it more to say "look how much my grandkids love me. And look how CUTE they are!!!" And many people picked up on the cue and told her exactly how "adorable" they were (and SIL "liked" all those comments too. She and MIL are cut from the same cloth.) But your point reminded me that MIL isn't actually very good at saying thank you period. She usually sends me some horrible "animated" card that she created (I'm forced to sit through "screen saver" type animation in order to get to the damn message. ) Rarely does she send the card to both me and DH, although HE often picks out her gifts. It's just weird.
      The competition crap. We get that too. Lately, BIL and SIL have been getting these overly sentimental gifts for MIL and FIL (ornaments with both our kids and their kids names on it. "Best granddad" T-shirts. You know, right out of the "good son" manual.)
      This reminded me too of a story about FIL (a nice enough guy. Friendly and kind, but with a knack for saying some stupid things at times. Not unemotional but lacking in sensitivity once and awhile.) SIL and I both met the in-laws at about the same time. Shortly after, FIL said to me "BIL3 and I were talking and I asked him which one of you or SIL is prettier. He said you!" I sat there in stunned silence. This was years ago, long before I had any inkling that things were off. But I wondered what in the world I should've said to that. And more so, the fact that they were EVEN comparing us bothered me a ton.
      xx

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    2. Hi Jessie,
      So true, it is a tricky medium. It is one I have had to recently learn how to manage better because of some of my unhealthy relationships. Change the medium to work in my favor, to keep in contact with distant friends and not support their image seeking adulation.

      Your MiL not saying Thank you, many in our FOOs do no say thank you. I noticed this this past Xmas. It is funny how that flies under the radar. Maybe I'm projecting my own emotions of gratitude on them that I think that they have actually been thankful but when I was able to observe without the fog, I noticed that they actually don't utter the words.
      FiL does this too, not as overt as your FiL - which, btw, what would you say to that. That is so weird. I don't know why but the competition stuff is strong with the in-laws. B/w DH and his brother and now b/w SiL and me. And SiL/BiL carry it b/w DH and I. I haven't figured out the purpose in it so I can effectively deflect it. What your FiL said, It is a lot like verbal attack but disguised as a compliment, imo. xx

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    3. I really felt, with my FIL, that he had reduced me and SIL to objects. WHY in the world would you tell someone that? Especially someone that might be part of your family. But my in-laws think nothing of "comparing" constantly. Drives me crazy, all the "ranking". FIL is, like I said, a generally nice guy. But he clearly has some issues. That was not the only incident where he said something and I thought "huh"?

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