What is in a name?

Happy Thursday Everyone,


I have started this post like three different times and still not sure how to start my newest blog rant.

I mentioned in my birthday post about my in laws but today I am going to give you some background.

I looked over the past posts and noticed that I write all about my brothers, their families and things that happen with my kids but don’t ever think that I wrote about my in laws.

Today I start with the patriarch of the family.

Dick!

No seriously, that is his name, Dick.

Dick is an extremely angry man. When I say extremely, I think maybe I am understating it just a little.

Dick had a horrible childhood. Dick is a veteran of the Vietnam War. Dick should have gotten over his anger many years ago but lately it has come back and come back with a vengeance.

Dick was 5 when his father was stationed overseas during World War whatever. His mother was an alcoholic who did not come home for days at a time because she was out on drinking binges. When Dick was this age he had three younger siblings to watch as well. He would rob stores and beg neighbors for food. At the breaking point the baby who was under 1 year old died of malnutrition and Dick carried its lifeless body to the police station for help.

The state came in took the kids and separated them in different locations. His brother and himself went to one orphanage and then were taken in by different family members. So all three living children were separated and raised by others. This angered his brother to the point that R didn’t speak to Dick for the rest of his life.

Dick was raised by Stella. Stella was a mean and nasty woman. I only have personal experiences with this woman but I am told that her meanness was something that she always had. Dick was a burden that she took in and her husband was the one who showed any feelings for him. Funny thing is Stella was Dick’s blood and Charlie was not.

My MIL met Dick when they were younger and they have been together and with no one else ever since. I mean he was her only boyfriend and vice versa. They had two children and now three grandchildren.

Dick has been sick for the past few years and it all started with chipping a bone in his elbow which infected. The infection went into the spinal column and into the ear. He had stents placed into his body for blockages. The infection caused so much damage that he has since lost all of his teeth. He lost his cochlea and now has a cochlea implant in order to hear.

For a few years we thought the anger had subsided but lately it is back and it is back with so much anger behind that new anger, my husband and I am not sure how to handle it. We have started talking to the boys about the behavior, the horrible remarks, and the nasty nasty comments about me.

Remember how yesterday I said that I was making the next year all about ME? Well it starts with my in-laws.

I found out Christmas night that my father in law thinks that I put my job before my family. He brought up to my husband the other day that I think that my job is more important than my MIL otherwise I would not ask her to put my kids on the school bus when I have an early morning meeting.

Funny thing is…I haven’t done that for 2 years.

I think the anger is coming back stronger because he is losing his capabilities.

What exactly are the early warning stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s?

I am not letting my FIL get to me. I don’t care that he thinks that I put my job first. My job is the reason why we have a roof over our head and food on the table to eat. My job pays our health insurance and our dental insurance. My job is the reason that we are able to drive back and forth to all of the places that our kids need.

I deserve the fact that I have a good job. I stayed home and raised my children up until they could wipe their own butts, clean their own teeth, and step onto that school bus without my holding their hand.

I deserve to be the one out earning a living using the skills that I have.

I like to be able to buy myself a pair of shoes on occasion and not feel like I am robbing heat from my children. Gosh Darn It! I deserve it!