I have been employed or working under contract for most of the time since the divorce. And today I'm gearing up to start a new job so that I can get some money, but more importantly so that my kids will get some money. And yes, the dinosaur will be fed and happy in the next month.
As we move forward as "this half" of the family, I am certain that my best time with my kids is ahead of me. And that's all the good news you need to hear today. Keep going.
My actions and words are all I can control. My goal is to always do my best. And give everyone around me their own agency to make plans, change plans, and find their own way forward.
In middle school my daughter would often call me during the school day saying she could not reach her mom, or get a call back, for something required for a field trip. I would make the call.
I can take a break from her blasting texts. I can hold my boundary. I will try again tomorrow. That's usually my mantra.
As a co-parent to a narcissistic is has not been easy. In most of the negotiations, I was given no chance to be on top.
Something about my celebration of my kids, my ability to house them while it was my weekend, caused my ex-wife more fury.
I am sad sometimes that I no longer have a partner and cheerleader in navigating these difficult times. But that role/relationship ended several years before the marriage did. And now I have two fabulous kids and their mom.