Positive developments? #2

[jon2911]

Good show Friday night, tiring drive afterward to Houston, but it's been a good, relaxing day today. I'm letting W sleep next to me on the couch, and she keeps waking up with nightmares and asking me to calm her down. She told me she's so tired, but afraid to sleep. After last weekend, I understand.

There's a stack of letters in her bathroom from family and friends, written for her to read at the retreat last weekend. Her Aunt coordinated it, so of course I wasn't included. Stings a bit.

From what I understand, this retreat was helping the women deal with a lot of past baggage and share life stories with each other. I was excited to hear she was going.

She called me several times during the weekend, and was struggling with the whole thing. "One woman asked me how I dealt with my Mom's death, that I must have been angry about it. Actually, I was angry after the divorce several years earlier, and didn't feel anything when she died. They said my Mom must have been a real spiritual role model, but I thought, no, actually, she wasn't."

She told me her story didn't fit the neat, clean-cut stereotypes they were expecting. Happens a lot in church, I thought. Still, after stuffing it all for so long, maybe she's starting to deal with some of this, and I'm honored that she shared it with me.

I'm working out a deal to buy W's couch, kitchen table, washer and dryer. I need it all with all the new space I have, and it saves her Craigslist work. She reminded me that she owes me $200 anyway, so this works nicely. Feels good.

We're planning on dinner and a movie tonight if she feels up to it.