Let me tell you this; my Monday went fine. I got up, by God’s grace. I got myself together. I went to work determined to make it a productive day. I had no clue I was walking straight into a storm that someone else created. However, I handled it with a level of strength I did not even know I still had.
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Early this morning, I noticed something was off. You see, my kids have been with their dad since noon on Friday. He took himself to their school and signed them out. He did it without any notice.
No text message. No confirmation. No communication. Nothing about what time my kids were going to be returned. After ignoring my one phone call and text messages all weekend, he suddenly went silent again.
We are talking about the same man who decided to pick them up from school without informing me on Friday. Then, typically he vanished into the air like the Ghost of Christmas Past when it was time to do the responsible thing.
I refused to chase him.
I refused to break my silence.
I refused to fall back into old ways of reacting to confusion.
However, as the woman I am. It was the not knowing about the kids mental health that still sat heavy on my heart.
I went to work anyway.
Of course, the bills do not stop, because someone wants to be petty.
Life does not pause because co-parenting becomes a night mare you living.
Plus, my kids deserve a mother who still shows up and handles her business even on the days when everything feels discombobulated.
I clocked in. I did my job. I carried that quiet ache that razzled my thoughts in the back of my mind. I still did not let it break my focus.
Once 8:30 a.m. hit; I found out he brought them to school late. There was of course no text. No explanation. No regard for their attendance or routine. Then, as if that was a slap in the forehead, my kids told me once we reunited that he was talking negatively about me to them.
That part hurt.
It was the audacity to do it... that stung. A tad bit.
Plus, our children should not have to carry or be smothered in his bitterness for me.
Still I remained calm and even laughed.
I did not go in.
I did not send another text message.
I did not allow his behavior to pull me out of character.
When I made it home. I got my kids bathed. Fed them. We sat at the table and did homework. We talked about their day. We got organized for the week and washed clothes. I poured love and reassurance into them without mentioning the mess that happened behind the scenes.
Plus, I respect myself and my own growth so much. I value who I am to our children.
Their peacekeeper. Their motivator. Their safe space.
Even after a long day of the baffling ignorance in his moves, disrespect, silence, and petty behavior…
I STILL showed up.
I still mothered.
I still worked.
I still kept order in my space.
I still protected my energy.
Today proved something powerful:
You cannot control what another parent does, but you can control how you rise above it.
You do not have to guess, because I did.
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