Sharks need love too (not all bite)

[Underdog]

Linda,

I've been thinking of you a lot lately... I'm sorry that things are happening the way they are and bringing you down.

(((((Linda)))))

BTW, I've been meaning to call you and thank you for the invitation. Hope you enjoyed yourself at the show. I have season tix to the Buell and had given mine away to a really good friend, who said it was fabulous.

I think everyone here knows that I am itching with agitation, and it's true.

It didn't help that last night, I found and read a letter Mr. W. had written to D9 in early December--saying how much he loved her and her sister but was tired of doing things that made everyone else happy but him.

At first I felt the stings of anger and hurt and then replaced them with some level of understanding and sympathy. Because the fact is, he is doing absolutely NOTHING to help himself feel better about himself and life in general. Until that happens, I'm going to get thrown out as the baby with the bathwater.

I'm going to schedule another phone appt with Laurie in a few minutes (which I've been saying I was going to do for the past couple weeks but have yet to do). I also had another light bulb go off on my way to work this morning.

Some radio DJs were talking about some lady who had a really tough time taking care of her life while her H was dying of cancer... slowly, over more than 2 years.

Well, the fact is that if Mr. W. were terminally ill instead of suffering from a MLC, I would have a whole lot more compassion and capacity for understanding, knowing that the outcome was going to be that I would be a single parent.

I decided that maybe I should work on that slant right now since there are a variety of open doors.

The question is: when is he going to seek some type of counsel to get him to think about the things that are still glaringly unresolved more than a year after he walked out?

I will discuss the options with Laurie when I get to chat with her again.

About Carlie... somehow I knew that my post yesterday was going to bring this subject up in my thread when I saw the news this morning. To be honest, I was dreading reading my own thread because of the extreme sadness I feel. D9 has been following the story, and I did everything I could to keep her from seeing the news today...

I knew she would be devasted, and since I won't be here this weekend to talk her through things, I decided that postponing the news would be better for her--she is turning in a huge assignment today and may have to give her presentation and I didn't want to risk screwing up her PMA today.

Ocean Journaling:

On my way home from work yesterday when Mr. W. called me on cell--again, happy and seemingly interested in talking to me. He surprised me when I answered by asking a question: "Are you excited about your trip tomorrow?"

I felt a smile and said, "Yes, I really am." He asked if I was seeing high school friends? I went to high school in VA and he has met my friends the weekend of my 20th reunion. Is this memory lapse attributed to the MLC?

Anyway, we had a nice chat and he told me to have a nice time and that he and the girls would be at the house when I get home on Sunday night. I've promised myself that Bob Barker will accompany me as well, and I will enter the house AS IF EVERYONE has missed me horribly and is excited that I am home.

One day, I'm sure Bob is going to send me and Meredith (and maybe even the Sting Ray) an invoice for all these tireless appearances that are not being reported as compensation...

Until then, I'm looking forward to hugging my BB buddies and fellow sharks (Meredith, Pamela and CBH) when I get there later today.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.... Just keep swimming!

Betsey