“Mommy, is the…”

Reasons in the past that I’ve been called ‘disrespectful.’

I asked, “What would have happened if you’d died while in this relationship? Didn’t you care about God?”

You’re being disrespectful came the answer.

“Do you know how stupid it would have looked to the angels if you’d died and others are claiming you’re such a good husband yet you weren’t?”

You’re being disrespectful.

“I miss the preacher you were with the stirring sermons and studies. Did you mean any of the things you taught? I fell in love with you for what you pretended you were. And those people you call your immediate family… I’m the one ( not them) who loved you enough to want to spend an eternity (in heaven) with you.”

If you don’t stop being disrespectful and accusatory, I will block you.

You were disrespectful to me.”

“When?”

When I agreed with your brother that you speak at your father’s funeral together with him. You say you obey the Bible but you didn’t submit to me.”

“So you’re saying that my exercising my rights as an adult to say no to a speech about my father at my father’s funeral when there’s already the firstborn son speaking, is disrespectful?”

Yes. You embarrassed me in front of them by not obeying me.

Rewind to 2003.

We had saved up our flat deposit and rent so that after our April wedding, we’d move into our own place in the Uk. We didn’t get any visas like we wanted but hoped while there we could sort something out.

After the wedding, we go back to the UK and it’s time to pay our rental and deposit and move into our own space instead of sharing a flat with his mother, her married lover, his friend, the oldest brother. Except, his mother had stolen all our money.

He never asked her anything. My money I broke my back for, gone. When I didn’t understand why my bones were hurting when nobody else’s were, why walking for hours was agony on my feet but everyone else seemed fine, all the money I hurt myself for, gone. And no accountability expected. Apparently you’re only disrespectful if you’re not blood.

I never forgot the hurt of someone who stolen from me not being addressed. She now knew she could control us and that her son was not my husband in the true sense of the word husband. She would always be his number one, even above God.

His sister said she knew someone at Home Office who could process a visa for me so we don’t go down to the office but rather send it to him..

I was naive .

Eventually my passport came back with the working permit or whatever it’s called, inside. With great joy, (before this as undocumented immigrants we’d worked at a warehouse that didn’t ask anything but for your body to work hard) I went to a very well known care agency so I could be a care worker in a nursing home etc. I happily filled in the form, handed over my passport and imagined myself in their beautiful uniforms while caring for the elderly. It was a dream come true. I wanted to talk to lonely people…

After a longish wait, the staff member came to me, blonde lady, and said, “I’m sorry, this visa is fake.” I asked, “What??” She said, “ This is fraudulent. It’s not the real thing.” I wanted to sink into the ground.

My character is everything. To be known as a criminal?? I apologised so much telling her I thought it was real because… I think she could tell I truly had been duped and was genuine because instead of reporting me, she just apologised that I couldn’t work there. I walked out with such a broken heart. How could she? Why??

I could have been imprisoned, or deported and not allowed back for ten years, or sent to a detention centre to wait. And those detention centres are strict, they provide phones that have no access to any forum type site or things like Facebook, IG etc. You only text your lawyer and only he or a doctor was allowed to visit you back then as far as I knew. Nobody else.

I was placed at risk of imprisonment innocently?? Obviously I told him what his sister had done. No big shock. No apology came. The response I got from him when he told her, “Why did she give it to them?”

Ok then. Strike two. I am less important than the sister. She told us she had cancer. She played it for years. She was lying. No outcry. Ok, if you lie and you’re blood, it’s ok.

Brother phones ( around 2005?) and says he found his wife unconscious and she had tried to commit suicide. Why? Because she had found out that he’d been unfaithful with multiple women from a month after their marriage to even the day after she gave birth to their baby when he went to go meet one of them in Zimbabwe while she was in Botswana with his one day old baby.

The response, “How could she do that with an eight month old baby in the house? Didn’t she care about their baby?”

Ok. Strike three. Another wife who doesn’t matter. Adultery means nothing. The reaction to adultery is everything.

I asked her how she found out. She said it was because of me. We used to live with them in Kenya and she had missed an episode of Oprah. I told her about how it was about a woman who found out her husband was unfaithful when she opened his email. She then decided she should check her husband’s.

Later on when the marriage was dying she showed me his emails and chats. I wanted to throw up. Different women. No protection used. Using their money to send formula for the baby of one of them ( she was married.) He gave his wife 3000 Kenyan shillings a month, but gave the one girlfriend he even brought to Kenya, 30 000 shillings. (See a pattern?) Guys, she was broken. “I thought I married a godly man. He preached so well and he really loves being a Pathfinder director but instead…”

Eventually he divorced her.

Oh well, she was a horrible wife. Now he is free.

It’s true. She even apologised years later because she’d been horrible to us too. She said she hadn’t been consulted about us coming to live with them, he’d not told her why (To help start a company) and she’d wanted to be alone with him. The house was large so we weren’t in each others’ way and we’d shared the cooking. I’d even offered to do their ironing when she was pregnant, but nope, she was horrible to us.

But, as she read in his emails, she told me she saw that I had asked him if he please couldn’t do counseling first before breaking up their family.💔

Two little children. Left dad in Joburg and had to go live with granny then sister while mom tried to rebuild her life.

Did you ever see anywhere where God said adultery and divorce are ok if your wife is a disaster? Poor woman was later diagnosed with bipolar and major depressive disorder. It explained everything. But she had become the opposite to what he’d married so the entire family felt he was justified.

He remarried an unbeliever and everyone was excited. (Remember, I don’t count as family so everyone in THEIR family) Finslky he was marrying a career woman, not someone who as their mother said about me and wife number one, “ finish my sons’ money.”

Marriage number two didn’t last. She divorced him. That’s the power of being a career woman. You have money to set yourself free.

Maybe 2021 or 2022, “This same bro wants to do something to make lots of money quick. He needs R400 000 more. I’m thinking of giving him the money from the sign on bonus I got when I joined this new company (they had poached him.) I am working for.”

No. Please no. (We are married in community of property. My no should have been the last word on that)

“You said that we are looking for a home out the city, this would be a lovely deposit! And you want to give it away? This project will not work! Our money will be gone.”

Strike four. My word is nothing.

As you can guess, Satan doesn’t always take care of his people so it didn’t work and we didn’t even get that money back.

I was disrespectful for commenting on it. For bemoaning such a big loss when we have such a big family that takes money to raise.💔

I have gone through a lot in 26 years of loving someone who was in love with his family of origin. When he was unfaithful the first time, I texted his seemingly caring sister that I’d hoped he would be different to all the other siblings and break the generational curse. I had had so much hope that what he was at church was real and THIS would never happen.

She pounced on my attack of the family. Apparently, pointing out that being a baby daddy of multiple children with multiple moms, is not what I’d want, is bad. Pointing out ( by implying it ) that being a serial adulterer was bad, was bad. And so I became fully, an enemy of everyone.

I stood alone.

I will fast forward the time he had a meeting with a woman I didn’t know who told him what I had always told him, that his mother hates me. And they didn’t know why because her reasons didn’t make sense. Nothing I did, wore etc qualified for hatred. But, she deeply and strongly hates me.

And he deeply and strongly keeps phoning her and laughing with her.💔

Honestly by this point it wasn’t even Strike five. Many things have happened over the years that by 2016 when he was unfaithful then unfaithful again after I caught him again, divorce was a great hope. I’d finally be free of people who almost sent me to prison, of people who stole from me, of people who gossip to each other about what the other is doing, always in each others’ business with negative gossip.

What a joy it would have been to be free of them.

But I stayed.

And so I created more chances to be called disrespectful .

June this year he gave the fraudster gossip sister who had sent my WhatsApp messages to everyone in their extended family my ‘attack’ my children’s number. They met. And she immediately lied about me to my children. And got into MY family’s business about an aunt they have no connection with.

I was disrespectful for asking why that was done. Why after we homeschooled to give them a pure environment, he then allowed such a cruel person to have contact with them. The kids at school, at the shops, there’s no choice. (But to deliberately facilitate the connection with someone who had harmed your wife says a lot about how little you matter.)

That is when I was told that the constant attacks on his immediate family made him want to go live somewhere else but he came back home for the adopted children. (I’ve shown people these texts)

June is also when the invoices started for his girlfriend’s rent.

When they have found someone to replace you, they abuse you so much that you leave to keep your sanity, and then they can look like the innocent party. “She just left! I don’t understand why she’d break up our family like that.” Typical narcissist behaviour.

In 2016, I kept quiet and so all people saw was infidelity, they didn’t see all the other ways I already didn’t matter.

This is why I did those maternal son enmeshment videos on my YT channel. I needed to warn just one girl that sometimes it’s not good to marry a guy who loves his mom..when he loves her more than he loves God. No accountability for her, but cruel words thrown at his wife. No calling out her living with someone else’s husband but grabbing a piece of biltong from a church goer and telling her, “Not in my church!”

This is hypocrisy, and I hate it. I hate lies. I hate cruelty. I hate injustice. The adulterous married twice brother borrowed money from first wife and as you can guess, never returned it. When she begged and begged, he sent her a text telling her, “Leave me alone, you fat ugly pig.” Would his church also turn a blind eye if they knew? Anyway, ex sister in law then sent the screenshot to fraudster sister in law asking her to intervene. She forgot she’d an outsider. They are one ‘ego mass’ as one research paper calls such enmeshed families. Instead, fraudster sister in law sent the screenshot to her brother, my children’s father who then showed it to me like it’s the funniest thing ever.

As you guys know, I am very sick. But after the tiring week planning a funeral – my mom’s- going up and down and missing my poor children, doing it alone because he was in Joburg for work so he said, after the funeral when my body was so so sore, I was told we had to entertain cruel adulterous name calling money taking brother. But we had no food at home. And I needed to REST MY SORE body and mourn my mother I’d just buried.

Strike 100. My coming to undress, change into less painful clothing and finally lie down while wondering what exactly they expected me to cook as we hadn’t done the week’s shopping was disrespectful. God hates for the sick to suffer. He told husband to “honour your wife as the weaker vessel..that your prayers be not hindered.” But hey, the prayers were already hindered because he had the floozy at this time. As David said, “ If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

And so, having seen our life compared to what we used to study on Sabbath evenings and what the Bible stories say, my perceptive daughter asked this weekend, “Mommy do you like THIS song because you’re the only kne who stands for God and you’re all alone?

(It’s in isiZulu. Basically asking if you’d stand alone for Christ even if you suffer for it.

Reminding us how Christ has cared for us and kept us from many dangers that might have killed his, pleading with us to follow Him. And how they don’t want to be like Peter and Judas, or Jonah and ask God to make them strong till His second coming.)

Yes. It’s my strengthens song. My reminder. My encourager. My song. I can. I am.

When your church fails you and God

When I got married, I meant every single word I said of my vows. All of them. Including the portion, “and so I follow you AS you follow GOD, that our home may be a praise to Him.”

This was not a match made in heaven. Not for me. I had already forgiven and reconciled twice due to his being unfaithful. I believed that forgiveness HAD to mean reconciliation. I didn’t even think that if adultery was a death sentence for the adulterer then clearly forgiveness was not a reunion of the betrayer and the betrayed. It meant not harboring any evil feelings. I was stupid, young and still very new to true Christianity. I felt that I too was imperfect so I should give grace. And after all, he wasn’t insulting me like my mom did, so he must have meant it when he said he loved me. Words are nothing. A man who doesn’t care that he has hurt you does not love you.

There were other warning signs which I’ve mentioned in previous posts. And others like giving his hoodies, sweatbands to any and all girls like I don’t exist. I should have seen that as a big warning especially after I told him it hurt me and he didn’t care. And then a second warning came in the shape of our head elder’s wife who told me she’d never have her husband, if he was a boyfriend, give his clothes to other girls. And he still didn’t care. I didn’t matter.

I thought anyone who would proper marriage planned to be a loving husband. I spend decades silently praying when the sarcastic put downs came, the I’m more knowledgeable than you comments that were actually false. I did try ask why I was being spoken to like I’m an idiot.

But let’s fast forward. Below are our church rules.

My husband was present at the marriage of a sibling who violated point number five. He was present while secretly back with his affair partner. Nobody in that family of SDA is SDA. And yes, secretly BACK WITH HER. The first time, I think I kept it secret I don’t recall. But I did then tell the elders and told them that I and prayed for him and it was now their turn to take over his salvation as my prayers and pleas meant nothing.

They knew everything. That I had found out about her, and that he’d claimed he’d leave her, then he went back to her. Read point number 5. Even without speaking to him, does that sound like someone who is repentant?

Did they ever ever get him to confess, repent and admit he had sinned against God? Did he ever take accountability and promise to use the future to sit at God’s feet and learn from him?

As for bringing the church into disrepute. The woman who organised flights must have known he was being unfaithful with her. He had the brazen guts to ask her often to seat his affair partner next to him. So, that’s public member one. Then the affair partner who wasn’t SDA was the other one who was now learning that Adventists don’t keep their vows. And then the third member of the public was her enraged husband who phoned him in extreme anger telling him he’s a fake Christian, asking him if this (cheating) was what his “church teaches.”

Not a single one spoke on this. This was the worst part for me. My husband misrepresented me and all the faithful SDA in the world by what he did. We do NOT teach infidelity. We CAN be faithful. Even in the week after the first time that I found out, when some guy flirted with me at Takealot, my immediate thought was, “Really? I’m married, dude!” But then I remembered that marriage doesn’t mean anything to some people. But nobody in leadership mentioned this aspect of making us look like loose immoral churchgoers.

And nobody mentioned how much worse it was given he was a preacher man with a very large sphere of influence. Therefore, he needed to have been MORE above reproach than anyone else in the world.

And nobody cared that it showed how far away he was from God while pretending he was his spokesperson. A sibling of mine said, “Yet he acted like he was God’s brother!?”

There was no attempt at all to ask ME if he was repentant. And no he wasn’t. He said it’s because I don’t know business so he could speak to her about business. Yeah, and all his male business friends?? He said it was because when he would phone randomly during the day, I’d have the gall to be teaching out children instead of being in the phone to answer whenever HE was free. He said it was because when he phoned, we got interrupted by a crying baby. It was all my fault. How dare I be a mother? Why was I working and teaching instead of keeping my phone on so that any time, he can reach me like I’m his servant?

That is not a repentant sinner at all. He doesn’t even see he’s a sinner. But they never cared to ask. One elder boldly told me in the worst period of my life that “I still admire him.” You can’t get true discernment from an elder that admires a sinner. Any sign of repentance they sought from him was fake, and they accepted it because they wanted it all hushed up. I was even told not to tell anyone.

My church after this, became a place of pain. No caring about our reputation as a church. No caring that he led a woman into sin. No caring that he was a leader who actually should be led and taught. No attempts to ask me for signs of repentance. Instead of protecting God’s reputation, it was all about damage control and so a measly three month “don’t teach” ban was enforced. Yeah, that will really get someone to see how they disappointed God.💔😒And it will really show them how they lied and broke their wife.

And so here we are again. Because he was unrepentant then, he’s now done it for three years and counting. My legal advisor asked me if I’m leaving. Of course I want to. Who wants to stay with an unrepentant narcissist? But, I’ve been a godly wife and done nothing that brought money IN to my own bank. I get a R3500 personal allowance and then R5000 to spend on the children and me- our clothing, therapy resources, toys, books etc. But hey, he has a statement at least from June for her monthly rent of R19 500 and an invoice for September that he paid for the rent. And bought furniture costing thousands.

Worst of all? He helped plan her divorce requirements.

This is just a portion. The red is his contribution after she asked him what he thinks.

Guys, I am heartbroken. I feel as if I gave birth to a monster. He claims he reconnected with her in 2022. This attachment was in 2023. Did he precipitate her breaking up her family? Why was he helping her make her family decisions? How dare he involve himself in the break up of another family? How evil do you have to be to so calmly decide how another family should SPLIT itself? Besides the money meant for my children and me legally ( we are married in community of property and all large amounts of money are meant to be agreed by both spouses before they are given away!) and morally, I cannot get over that a whole church elder agreed to help plan how a family would break up. This fills me with great shame. You have to be soulless to do this.

And so my readers, this is how my church let me and my God down. They let a man who didn’t care about God preach about Him after a mere three month holiday. They acted like he’s done nothing when he had done everything the devil loves.

So yes, the legal advisor asked me what my plans are. I told her that my fears are for our future as his ex wife and children. I am disabled so cannot suddenly get a job. And this disease is progressive. So even if I wanted to, I’m only going to get worse and this is already bad as it is. I also read that the ex only gets the pension interest amount up to the date they divorce. Guys, SA pension is NOTHING. Our elderly folk who don’t have help are starving. How would I with my gluten free needs survive on a pension? Oh, I mention that because when the spouse retires, the court can even decide for the spouse not to pay spousal maintenance anymore! No way my forever dependent children and I would survive.

So she asked for salary, liabilities, how much he’s been giving away to anyone, medical bills…

And the man has refused.

Says a lot.

I always did say I was being financially abused. But now, the stealing from our family is a BIG problem and issue. How much has gone to floozies? There’s only that reason why he’d not want to send the documents. Instead telling me I must analyse my costs. They didn’t ask for that! The email response was so bad that when I showed it to my advisor, she immediately said she’s in disbelief at how narcissistic he is.

There we go. My friend and I said it. Nobody else had. But just one email exchange showed his true dark character.

My church decided to close their eyes. And it’s not just my local church, it’s every church I know of. We have rules but we don’t follow them. And thereby, we enable the men to continue and the women to keep hurting.

But I know God will vindicate me. He already has shown me evidence of His presence by answering the second most painful prayer (besides, “Is my loving husband going to die?) a wife would ever pray. How many pray for a month for EVIDENCE that they are living with a hypocrite who can’t keep his vows when they’ve kept theirs through hell and high water? 🥹💔

Homeschooling Laughter

People ask if I teach any other kids – then that’s not homeschooling!-but I have enough of my own pupils!😊
Lightning today- my biggest girl sent it

I have always wanted to prove that we can do certain things. We can adopt. I love my adoptees as much as I love my bio children. And another thing I’ve wanted to prove? The voices were wrong.

I’ve had in laws, elderly cousins, parents telling me the children will be messed up. They won’t be able to function in the real world (because our world is fake?) One said I was destroying their future.

First of all, I wanted to inculcate in the children good principles and values that they would hopefully spread to others. I gave them all the knowledge of GOOD that I could, so they could discern the evil. And judging by this funny text between my daughter and I, I definitely did achieve that!

While they still hold their antiquated illogical views, we keep pressing on and laughing at the knowledge of evil she never got.

I have another happy moment. I truly believe that folinc acid is helping our girl open up. Yes, she’s still getting violent and hurting me. I had surgery on my calf muscle to remove a lipoma that was on it and a nerve and I’m going through torture. But she doesn’t care. Not that her twin and brothers do either. So she pulls me when I’m meant to keep my leg elevated. I went to get stitches removed but when one was removed by the nurse, my incision gaped open. Oops, too early for my body! So we have given it a few days.

But man! Though she now requires more supervision as she’s reduced how long her quiet time and tablet time are, she’s saying more too. She repeats a lot of what she hears. But also does more than before.

She doesn’t usually play with anyone. And if I got close, she would move away unless of course she was pulling me to get something for her. But today she pulled me to the garage, and played around and ran around while I watched, and then she made me sit on a soft ride on therapy toy, and she sat in front of me. Close proximity is NOT normal at all! I pretended we were riding on a train, and then she leaned backwards onto me. She rested on me. She hadn’t done that since before autism showed itself when she was around 18 months old! She’s six now! My heart was so full!

Later, she came to my bedroom with big brother faithfully following her. She jumped on my mini trampoline and I asked her if she wanted Bk to hold her hands and jump. Usually I hold her hands and do up and down movements matching her as if I am jumping too. She immediately looked at him and with her eyes and raised eyebrow, she fully communicated without needing to pull him, “Yes,” she did want big brother holding her hands while she jumped! I’m proud of her for finding a different way to communicate.

Our steps forward might never be major. We might never again have her call me Mommy. And so I faithfully celebrate the little moments. Like her looking at him for a the first time ever when I asked. “Where is Bk?”

This post was clearly a girl’s post. It’s truthfully because our ten year old boy seems to be regressing intellectually. We all see him understanding a bit less, misunderstanding, not hearing what he could hear before, acting like he’s losing social skills.. so I don’t have anything trivial it amazing to share.

But I can share his “going to occupational therapy” outfit worn on Tuesday. Note the ankle brace. Even the way he sprained his ankle was illogical. Not a normal fall. A fall doing something not even a five year old would do. Running (not sure how!) off a moving elliptical and twisting it as he tried to land on a therapy mattress. I can’t picture it. All I could see was the swollen and painful aftermath that saw him at the emergency department on crutches for a week and then the brace alone till Monday this coming week.

See? Nothing fun and trivial. It’s a bit worrying. Same with weird sticking out his tongue movements like he’s a down kiddie whose tongue is too big for his mouth, which it’s not. Hence it being weird. Anyway!

Let’s end there, shall we? My daughter certainly doesn’t feel deprived because she didn’t know who Ted Bundy was; homeschooling didn’t make her unable to be fearless and instead, she’s been group leader for many assignments, and she is aware that all of us are made in God’s image that nobody is inferior to her. And THAT, is a wonderful way to summarize the non academic part of her having been homeschooled.

She’s ok! I didn’t break her.😆

Not Really Alone

(Some might be repetitive) An acquaintance at the church nearby asked me who was going with me to my doctor’s appointment. Let’s back up. I’ve had HORRIFFIC pain from toes to calf and I was sure it was nerve pain. I had weird skin issues on the other foot and the closest photo that Google found when I did a photo search was a type of eczema. It starts with painful blisters. Everywhere on the foot. Under, on the side, between the toes. So when you walk, you step on them and want to cry. When you wear shoes or socks which naturally bring your toes closer, you want to cry. Then they become discoloured patches. So, I’ve had even less sleep than the usual no sleep due to AS thing.

I’ll do a separate post on what THIS psoriasis looks like. From start to how it ends up when the blisters have gone flat. This is a preview.

I arrived at the doctor’s rooms and sat down to wait for him. The acquaintance- we haven’t hung out, don’t chat often, so I feel weird saying friend- asked me when my appointment would be, and who had accompanied me. Nobody had. I get so envious when I see couples at the rheumatologist’s rooms. It’s a serious disease that takes us there and support is wonderful. I’d love to have someone else with me when she tells me my back is not stretching as far as it had been. I want someone when there will be bad news. Or just further instructions.

I got home and funnily enough, our Vi also asked me if I’ve always gone to the doctor alone. She even felt like accompanying me! What his it with these ladies? Same day? Out of all the appointments Vi has seen me go for, she asked after THIS one? Funny coincidence.

I feel alone some days, and I’ve seen patients who feel even worse than I do, anxious, legs shaking, nervous chatting… I’ve been going to specialists since I was three years old so I’m used to all kinds of doctors but they aren’t. Im happy I could help the Gastro one who thankfully ended up not severely sick. That’s what I wish! To calm people and see them through their trauma and then move on to the next one. My friend is going to a specialist soon but I can’t be there though I want to be. She is me and I am her. Alone at the doctor’s.

But look at this!

The sound might be bad so you might not hear clearly. I had tried to wear shoes in the morning and leggings. My nerve damaged foot feels like it’s on fire all day and night. Add shoes and it’s worse. The leggings too and the pressure they exert don’t help. I was in the kitchen and my irrepressible six year old was with me when I stumbled which made me step hard with the nerve foot. I couldn’t control my reaction to pain, so I cried out, and she lovingly asks about me and offers to pray for me right there and then as she knew God would heal me immediately. How can I feel alone when my six year old stops and prays for me?

We have another first for our non speaker.

This is a big deal for us. Our not very talkative twin got out of her room and went shuffling along to the freezer, nobody heard her! She knew what she wanted! She took out some diary free ice cream and took it to big bro to open. Never done that before.

I may be going alone, but I know there is a girl friend somewhere, waiting to hear what the doctor will say. And I’m thankful for that emotional support.

We are starting the anti psychotic medicine commonly known as Abilify! On my ten year old. Her anger and aggression and snapping are extreme. So we are hoping she will be able to find a calmer existence. When I gave it to her this morning she asked what it was and I explained what it’s for. She asked if it would help her self harming. I asked when the most recent time was. She said it was when I’d sent her to time out for telling her sibling to lie to me to get something I’d already told her they wouldn’t be getting, (Their Samsung Tablets) that she then bit her knee when I closed my door because she felt abandoned. Sometimes I bring her into my room but then her siblings come and give her lots of input and fun that there’s no time for her think about never lying again. (An impossibility for her🫣) Other times, I’m very busy or recording videos. That’s exactly what we want to reduce- a destructive anger that builds up even when she’s wrong.

Takes a long time to start having an effect, about 6 weeks to two months! I’ll let you know if it works! We only took the first half tablet this Sabbath morning. So far, the side effect she has had is heat regulation problems, which is temporary. After a week, she will have an entire tablet. I hope it treats her well and HELPS us all.

Here are some random pictures. 😅

I wasn’t with them. I don’t know where our ice cream thief went. She was with them.

Durbanville Rose Garden

I hope I’m able to find a way to bring peace to my daughter.

All of Them!

Isn’t it crazy that a mother would be happy that she has MANY children who need therapy? Obviously, financially it’s BAD. The fuel spent, the costs our medical aid does NOT repay, it’s not great. And it’s not exactly wonderful that they need it all. BUT, you see, we had THIS little girl who needed more siblings to need therapy. Siblings who came from my own womb.

I am pretty sure some might recall – not sure if I had THIS blog at the time though- that my girl felt that we shouldn’t have adopted, because it was only her adopted brother and her who needed therapy. She was with me when I had to pay for vision therapy and the receptionist and I laughed over how we’d pay anything for our children. She missed the laughter and just saw money… Money spent only on the adoptees. Big sister and big sister didn’t need therapy. “You shouldn’t have adopted us. Then you’d have more money.”

I feel like I do recall sharing on here that I tried to show her how broken I myself am and how I too am in need of extra care and money and I wasn’t adopted. It just was it was. I too had many tests. Yes, they were physical in nature, but I cost a lot too. So she must never think being adopted is the problem. Life is!😅

But it helps even more knowing that both her siblings from my womb also need therapy. This was taken during OT yesterday. She doesn’t feel so weird. And she gets to see lots of other children coming and going as the practice has three therapists. So she knows she’s not as much of an outlier as she thinks she is. And that is GOOD!

If someone could come up with way to get my angel to not assault me and not want to drink toilet water because it’s blue, I’d be happy to send her there too!

As you can see, my wound and stitches are going in the wrong direction. And look at the swelling too.

This was today’s photo here below

You might be able to tell that I’m swollen all the way down to my ankle. And the pain is increasing. So… I’ll give it today. If no reduction, I’ll go to the wound nurses tomorrow and find out if this is something we can remedy. Compare it to Saturday…

So now you can see why my angel told me not to teach today. At my wound appointment, I’d been warned that the calf is not a good place, we stand up and all the blood goes down. Not good as that causes pressure. So I was to elevate my feet above my heart as much as possible. But add all the walking I do as I parent my children and teacher, caregiver of special needs children, and it’s not going to get enough rest.

My girl was not impressed with how it looks today so she made me stay on the bed. I taught her from afar. Tomorrow I’ll get her to bring her desk closer because wow, she left out many pages! She’d do one page and then miss out two then continue!

With her sister, some of her work allowed us to both be on the bed as she read to me and we discussed ordinal positions as well.

Yep, her sister cut her hair. Did I mention that? Sigh, I’m definitely leaning towards a conduct disorder. Then again, an impulse disorder also makes sense. I wish we could get this neuropsychological assessment done YESTERDAY. And once we diagnose it, is there a way to reduce the number of times she goes bonkers?

I am happy. So so happy. This is a total side bar. I realized that I am seen and heard. The very things I share that someone is so weak and pathetic as to pass on to my abuser, are the things that I’ve never said for over two decades. I spent decades praying for growth and maturity but there has been none to find. The word selflessness is nonexistent. Sacrifice? A swear word? And so, I have found others. A very busy mom who I tried to entice to visit me but man, I don’t know what kind of day our last born would be having so I’m glad it hasn’t happened, and my best friend. I included her in the email I wrote to my children’s father and the woman he’s being a sugar daddy for. They know she knows. And it makes me happy to know that the world will not shake if I finally reveal my reality. Did you know that I’ve never shared till now, that an in law stole our rent deposit AND that he didn’t ever confront her, ask her why she stole, ask her to return our money we’d both worked hard for? I would share about my own relatives who used me only for money, but I was quiet about a thief who also stole. For what? No more! Truth is truth even if there are talebearers going around telling my abuser the truths I share.

I am thankful that my best friend allowed me to traumatize her. Twice over thh he years, if not thrice, she begged me not to tell her the abuse I’ve been undergoing. But I had nobody. So I did. And she has allowed me to.🥹That means a LOT, it’s more helpful than hurting my body sitting on a psychologist’s chair while wondering how the children age at home.

I am thankful for sisterhood. For strength. We aren’t the old generation that tells people that no matter how bad things are, just endure the pain and don’t expect accountability, We aren’t the people who accept flirtation and infidelity from our spouses as a matter of course. If we can be faithful, then clearly they too can be. If we can surround ourselves with sisterhood, they can find fellow men to give their time and attention to. We aren’t the type to say, “Oh well, all men cheat. It’s part of life.”

Nope, it’s a life we didn’t sign up for when we said our vows. We signed up for tenderness. For high regard. For team work and partnership. For fidelity and integrity. For a man who will leave his mommy and cleave to us just like we cleave to him. For being cared for in sickness. And so, when things go wrong, and it turns out the man was future faking (presenting a future he wasn’t ever going to ACTUALLY live up to) we send each other videos and links to things that are relevant to the season we are in. And that makes me happy. Even if the video itself makes me cry.😊

PS. I know there are female horrible wives. But I’m not a man who has guy friends to discuss them with. So, I’ll stick to the men who are whack and rejoice for those whose husbands serve their family unit as they should.

The Assignment

It’s loc tightening time so ignore the hair

I’ve taken myself of YT for my homeschool life and special needs aspects so now you’ll be hearing a lot more of my life as a mother and special needs caregiver and distance mom of my first daughter. Brace yourselves!

A week or so ago, my girl sent me a screenshot of their planned out ‘work meeting’ for a Business English assignment. Now let me tell you the backstory because this is the positive side of my heart that I hope she inherited from me. (Always thinking of the outlier. And my closest friend in my first junior school was also a Muslim girl!) They had to work as a group and set up a work type meeting using Business English aka business jargon. They all agreed on a certain time. I think it was 7pm. But then secretly, the Muslim girl texted my girl to tell her she’d been shy to say anything, but 7pm was her prayer time. She assumed they’d not care about that. My girl assured her that she’d speak to the rest of the group and they – contrary to what she feared- WOULD adjust the time to suit her. And they did.

So I already had a bit of a proud mom feeling about that assignment. My girl is a safe person for the Muslim girl. Then late one night, my girl sent me the screenshot of their ‘meeting,’ saying how they’d gone way over time and it was due the next day and that they were nervous they’d not be able to pare it down enough.

She video called me today. I thought there was a big problem because WE usually call HER. And she hadn’t even asked if I was available. I answered with great trepidation. Only for her to show me this.

My girl was SOOOOO proud of herself and her group! She couldn’t hold it in! 🥰🥰🥰😍😍She’s had some terrible group project members so this one was already off to a good start as they are all friends, though they tend to bunk lectures and she attends every single one. Their efforts were rewarded!

Then I thought of earlier in the month, how disappointed she’d been about the mark she/they received for a different assignment for a subject she has struggled with terribly. She was truly distressed about her 63%. The way she introduced it, I thought she’d gotten 45%! The level of disappointment didn’t match the mark at all.

So I started creating a post around that. I wondered if her dissatisfaction with a good pass for a very difficult subject was from our homeschool years. Back then, in the earlier years, before we moved onto the next grade level, I needed them to get 70% minimum. That was MY pass mark. Forget the governments 30’s and 40’s. Then as they got older, I made it 60%. I truly wanted to know they have a proper grasp of the work before moving forward. I wondered if it was her own hang ups causing her to be so unhappy about a respectable 63%, or if I caused it. I tried my best to show her that that was a huge improvement and all we need is for her to move into second year. A specific mark for one subject that she will never study again isn’t the end of the world when it’s a very clear PASS! As I thought about the wording for the post, she sent this text message.

Exactly this! Even in our high school years, Physics. a subject that she’d truly struggled with was not good enough at 78%! It was funny that as I was analysing her reaction to her marks, she also was!

It’s just the beginning of her degree. Things will get harder. I really hope she keeps getting the marks she’s working for. If not, I’ll be her safe space.

And I had better enjoy the communication. If she gets a boyfriend, she might forget me and share her highs with him. So I will saviour every text, audio note and video call. ❤️

Mothers used to ask if it didn’t lots of disciple to be a home educator, didn’t it make me lazy and not want to teach on some days? Nope. Never. The only time I’ve not been disciplined enough to do what I planned was when I’m extremely unwell thanks to AS or any other sickness. That’s the only time I’ve had a “I don’t feel like it” moment. Or after surgery. Then I’m kinda.. NOT in the mood.

I love it. I love teaching. Just wish my body did too. As I celebrate my girl who is no longer being taught by me, I hope the rest will reach their personal potentials. Then I’ll feel like I finished my race.

Before I finish, what about my current pupils? I will add that my now six year Twin A came in telling me her left hand vs right hand. Correctly. Sadly, it actually felt miraculous because by age ten, her other two siblings still couldn’t tell you-thanks a lot, dyscalculia.😏

I asked if she thought she’d be able to remember it correctly forever. She said, “Of course!

I’ll remember it even

When

I’m

Seven tests old!“

Yep, that year between now and then is indeed the equivalent of “forever.”😎

One last thing. I am tired and in pain! Sadly, not much worse than when on Rinvoq so I don’t know if it’s helping much at all. Which as you might recall, was the question the rheumatoid and I had given my ‘never been this high’ numbers from my blood test results. Add surgery and hair tightening day which means my butt and my shoulders and arms and ribs become more sore, and you’ve got a miserable mommy standing at the laminator preparing for dysgraphia class for tomorrow.

In comes my children’s father, asking where our second son’s anti psychotic pills are. I wanted to cry. Is this the weaponised incompetence people talk about? There’s only one place their medication stays while waiting for me to put it in their weekly pill boxes. Why me?? Why not just look where they have always been?

I was really grumpy now, guys. It’s past 7pm, my body is so tired from AS and lack of sleep that I’m walking in a daze. I go collect the tablets and my boy appears next to me. He hugs me and tells me,

“It’s so nice when you are here.”

.

.

.

What more can one say? We do this for them. We suffer for THEIR sake. And they reward us with love (and pouting but we don’t go there.) when we aren’t expecting it.

I hope I will still be here “forever” so I can make him feel happy . A forever longer than N’s year, 😊

For those whose working week hasn’t begun yet, have a good one. May things go as smoothly as they can.

A Small Sabbath Blessing

The minors are major because the majors might never happen. Today’s minor is her NOSE. Unlike her siblings who can blow their own nose, unlike her twin who can also sniff too, our girl is just stuck with mucus flowing down her nose. She doesn’t articulate or show that it needed to be wiped so I don’t always catch it.

During the week, I bought a Baby Vac from Dis Chem to try remove mucus from her nose, but she totally refused for big brother to do it. So I was just trying my luck when I did it this morning. It’s meant to be attached to a vacuum cleaner – don’t know how exactly-and then turned on to suck the gunk out the child’s nose. Autistics and loud noises are not friends unless it’s their own mouths making the noise, so that is not an option. Other nasal aspirators tell the caregiver to suck so..I did. Sprayed the saline solution, inserted the nozzle into her nostril and she allowed me to suck mucus from her one unblocked nostril!!! I was so excited that she had ALLOWED me! Not even all typical children want things up their noses. Not only was she ok with the and the feeling of the sucking, she even tried to put it back into her nose herself!

I’m so proud of her for letting me! For being able to handle it. Something new, something weird… It’s the little things that keep me going!

Their father hasn’t been here since Wednesday and he’s gone off to church, so I will act as my own nurse, and keep nursing the children who are still all sick though not too bad. The wound check and dressing change was interesting. The nurse has never seen a lipoma in the area mine was in. But she also made me realise that recovery won’t be that quick. The added reason is also that we cut and pulled and twisted out right by my bone and bone does not like being bothered. I am meant to rinse with salt water- forgot to do that today- and then put antibiotic ointment on and cover it back up. The pain, too, should be significant so the suggested strong anti inflammatories. She wasn’t happy I wasn’t given any by the actual surgeon. And keep my foot elevated above my heart.

Anyone who has children knows that children do not follow protocol. Mom and bed rest do not exist in their vocabulary. And so, I’ll half nurse myself, and half nurse them. Kinda like my AS life ANYWAY.

I do appreciate the concern and care from afar. Vi checked on my early in the morning. That means a LOT guys. When you need a caregiver but you have to be others’ caregiver, it is extremely lonely. In the space of my topping this, I’ve had four interruptions that required me to stand because Twin B wants stuff that I’m hiding in my room because other sibling eats it all.

I will be thankful for the little Sabbath blessings. The child who allowed me to give her a bit of relief..and the helper who texted to find out how I am today. Besides the pain, I’m sleepy. I sleep even less now due to the nerve pain in the leg and foot, I am sleepy! Falling asleep as I edit the children’s nature lesson while knowing even when I’m done, I won’t be able to take a nap. Ankylosing spondylitis is cruel. Weird benign tumours that keep appearing, are weird. I need some spoiling, some “You should rest. Just send a message if there’s anything you want us to do.” VI’s instructions to me during the week.❤️

I truly appreciate every silver lining blessing 🙏🏾 What has brightened YOUR (Sabbath) day?

Homeschooling Curse?

Dear Mom, I love you so much. You are strong and truly the best mom. I hope you believe that. 🥹You are so strong and brave. (She reads from the same Encourager book as Mrs Chikwariro!) Well done mommy. (For not complaining about surgery. Before it, she’d asked if I was “Nervoused” ) I love you a lot.

Get well soon,

From Ammy

Hello, Mommy! I love you. I hope you get better. Mommy, I love you so much! (And the outside of the envelope her missive was in said), “From Nalo.”

My sweet second son – as you heard in the video- said he didn’t have time to write a card. That’s ok! Even he can’t read his scribbles when we try decode what he has written 🥰

We are zooming past certain Maths lessons that Nalo has already mastered. It’s kind of freaky. And she complains that the Maths is too easy. So now I’m balancing both Reading, Language and Maths! Crazy! It reminds me -again- of the educational psychologist who has seen both the others and assessed their extreme and severe disorders, asking, “So you have NO worries about her academic abilities?” Not yet! I have added Computing and Geography from Cambridge and so far so good! It’s simple stuff! And as I might have stated, she uses the information she learnt throughout the day, a form is rehearsal so it sticks! One lesson was on air. When she was cooling her porridge down and blowing on it hours later, she reminded me that she was using air to cool something down! It’s awesome.

You know what else is awesome? My children’s current (Life changes!) choices. The first complaint from certain people was how we dress our children. And the same person who has always complained about our dressing said she hopes the children rebel against us because I’m basically acting like their prison warden. They have no ‘freedom.’ The other reason this was said was because a different relative had told this one that I don’t give the oldest two who were the only ones at the time, snacks between meals. So when they offered something to the children who were asking me if they should take it as it wasn’t mealtime, I said “Thank you, they will eat it after lunch!” I’m cruel, apparently.

Yeah, children at school don’t have freedom either! They don’t eat during class, so why should my children be eating all day between meals like they wanted? (Ironic that the unwanted-by them- kiddies basically HAVE to eat between meals for their sensory needs. And one is just always hungry anyway🤦🏾‍♀️😂.) Most schools in our country have uniforms. No ‘freedom’ there either.

So when the children live the things that have been thrown at me as being bad, I rejoice.

It began young with all of them. Their consciousness of God as a real Being. And it was brought to the fore this morning. Our non speaker wanted the mattress off the bed again today and the pain is building from knee to toe. I truly believe they messed with a nerve that stupid lipoma was stuck to. The pain is getting worse, sharper, more electric even with the sheet touching my pyjama’d leg. JUST like my elbow nerve surgery recovery.😥After a horrendous night, I just wanted some peace. So I sent them to Wynberg Park. A park the youngest have never been to. Now, it is recommended to make social stories for your autistic kiddies who do better with routine and struggle with difference. You tell them in advance about where they are going, what to expect…But this was spur of the moment so I was limping by around making juice, encouraging our talking twin to get dressed and she herself took care of the social story lack by asking what the park looks like.

I showed her some photos from a Google search.

And you know what that six year old little girl said, “Wow, it looks holy! It looks like you can go there and pray!” I NEVER thought like that when I was 6 years old! It’s so cool! I love comparing myself as a child to them. They are so far ahead of where I was.

As for my girl who is meant to rebel against me and dress whichever way asked me to help finance a bunch of clothes – undergarments and leggings and these. Prices change drastically so I don’t know what the prices were on the day we bought them.

SHEIN

People change. Peer pressure is real. Fitting in with the world is the norm. And so I will be thankful that for NOW, my first girl has still chosen to live by what she’s seen and studied. Those skirts late sweet. They have cute little bows on the front. I focus on feeling sad about her anxiety about entering a brand new church on her own. But the teachings are still there wherever she is. Same with not wanting to write an exam on Sabbath and asking what to do. I was so proud of her for not even considering writing.

The mysterious thing is how the very people who wish ill upon you for living differently. don’t exactly have perfect lives. For this person, loyalty to them is her god. As long as her children are loyal to her, she’s happy. So she discounts the one charged with statutes rape who she whisked out of prison with the help of a married magistrate boyfriend she had. She doesn’t see the sorrow in a son who has now been divorced twice because he can’t keep his vows and her other son also being the same – no morals – means nothing to her. The other children? Both have been to prison- one for fraud from their company, the other for GBH! That is the product of going to school. Surely she should welcome a different approach? Maybe the children won’t be as reprobate as hers? Wouldn’t you wonder and hope that the younger generations won’t be as twisted as the older? I would!

And you know what, dead or alive, if they rebel, it won’t be about me, it won’t be because they were homeschooled it will be about God and their choices regarding HIS principles. Most youths DO ‘rebel.’ And it will not be because I taught them from Christian curricula for as long as possible, living pure principles and praying for them. It will be for the same reason Eve rebelled against God and Adam. Nothing to do with Eden being too rigid. But everything to do with a heart that wanders away from God and His principles.

And the last thing I’ll blog about that naysayers have said? “They won’t know how to interact with peers.” My girl has a larger friendship group than I had at her age! And I came from a regular girls’ school. Our children aren’t caged up, talking to nobody. We – the family members- are somebody, by the way. They have other people they interact with, different ages and backgrounds. It’s perfect. Not just an adult teacher and then other children. But ANY body. (Parks, shops, church, helper, outings.)

I know I’ve done my job fr my oldest two. Now they must do theirs. For God. 🙏🏾 For now, I’m thankful that young and old have God and principles on their minds. And I think Nalo is thinking of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane (Our current Bibkebstory focus is on the crucifixion) so maybe that’s why she said the park looks holy. Who knows? Maybe it just does! It’s just cool figuring out what prompts the comments.

The curses thrown at us have not deterred me. The silent treatment because I live a Titus 2 life, have not destroyed me. The actual hatred because I don’t pay someone’s drug debts… Ridiculous! The hope that my children revel? Evil.

Here I stand. I can do no other.

Let me enjoy the current bliss while it lasts. If even Solomon could mess up for decades, who knows what the future holds? I would rather they were Daniels and Josephs, but I can’t choose. I can only plant the seed and how nothing chokes it or burns it.

Lift Them UP!

I know why I made the choices I made. I thought love naturally included being hit so hard you can’t breathe while you ask what you did wrong. I thought love included looking at your father as he towers over you and he berates you for trying to understand him because he says you’re looking at him rudely, when really, your glasses’ frame was in the way and you were trying to see him properly. I thought love included criticism and comparisons to others who were ‘better’ than me. And that all Black mothers have DNA that makes them tell their daughters that they are ugly, that ask their daughters if they’re serving lunch at church to catch a husband…

And so, I chose a love that wasn’t as bad.

Yesterday evening, I checked on my first daughter, asking how she was, telling her the new thing her non-speaking sister did that killed my back at the end of a long day. It’s complicated by my having to be off Rinvoq. The pain and fatigue are that much worse. I pray I heal ok so I can resume on day seven post op! (Not cancerous! It was indeed a disgusting looking lipoma. And not the smooth ball type but it was irregular. The surgery is a whole other discussion. Being awake to be able to tell the doctor you can feel the scalpel slicing into your calf is not something I would suggest you do!)

Let’s go back to yesterday. She has started this thing where she has to be in my bedroom. One- that’s bad because she’s still very infectious as are her siblings, so being on my bed when I’m trying to not hurt my body more, is not a good idea. As you know, each sickness reduces lung function. And, it can be dangerous. What kills lung people like me is that one infection they couldn’t recover from. Two- I knew I was having surgery today. Not only does she want to be on my bedroom, she wants the mattress off the base! And then roams around! Not comfortable. The least painful position for me is leaning against the headboard.

I told my girl about her nutty sister and she sent me this last night.

It was my flowers, lol. Flowers for surviving the newest autism baptism by fire. But, she denigrated her efforts. And in my home, that is not on. I build up, not tear down. No sarcasm, no putting you down, no telling you there’s a better app to do better than this… I will raise my children to hear my voice and God’s voice. Her efforts are worth all the gold in the world, because God loves compassion. I don’t see anything negative, and if there was, I’d still not say it because it truly is the thought that counts! I want her to KNOW that I see her heart and soul, I don’t judge her based on shallow standards. I judge her through the eyes of love. And love wants to make you happy.

My other children… My Amarissa who doesn’t want a big birthday celebration buyout does want cake but no singing. We decided we will sing on Family Day, remembered mommy saying a while ago that I used to wish I could have a Mother’s Day. I think she does, because with me being their School Teacher, I’ve never told them about it, I’ve only asked their father if he could do one with them and he said no, as I’m not his mother.

But what my son said here, means she discussed it with him because he’s never said it before. And it’s not Mother’s Day. This is post op. The bleeding is scary as it’s more than when I left surgery. I hope it stops. If you fear blood, don’t look. Just go to their sweet video.

This is now as I type

And this was earlier when I got home

Let’s not forget. Besides Rinvoq causing a higher risk of blood clots, complications, infections, it also slows wound healing. This is going to be a scary ride! Let’s hope by the hoped for 14 days, I’ll be able to get the stitches out.

So, that’s my plea. Lift your children up! Yours might be the only voice that empowers them, that allows them to see every have value just by existing. Not in status, not in job roles and positions, but because they are alive and wanted and loved. True unconditional love. A love that cares about character not about qualifications, principles not positions! And so though my IBS stops me eating some of the things my angels bought me with their pocket money, they won’t know that.

I used to give a certain person gifts they made very clear they didn’t like. “Yes it’s a black watch but it must have a third clock inside.” The exercise so I bought them a water bottle. Never used not even as token. They didn’t like that, didn’t like the words accompanying the gift. But when it came to me, different rules. They’d praise the gifts they bought me. “I know I bought them, but I really like those balloons I got you.” They had NEVER seen me with a teddy bear. Never heard me saying a teddy in a display was cute. But years ago, they kept giving me teddy bears and not once did I show any ingratitude. Then they got upset that I lovingly passed it onto their child, who DID love teddy bears. You actually have to be quite mentally disordered to be upset that a stuffed toy that had just been lying there, is being cuddled by your own children who are handling it gently. It’s yet another sign that they didn’t want to LOVE their children like a father SHOULD. And also, it was a gift for me. So I should have been able to do with it what I wanted. I didn’t even think to challenge that part!

I don’t ever want the children feeling like they can never show me how they love me, correctly. I can’t control what others say to them, but I can fill their minds with knowledge that their heart is important to me. They hold my heart. Plus, I loved it because they did it with pure intentions. And didn’t praise themselves for giving me things I’d never expressed a love for. ❤️

This is disjointed. I can’t even sleep. My non speaker keeps coming into the room. She coughs and breathes with her mouth open. And -of course- might not speak to me, but does make noise so I am not sure this flowed as much as I wanted it to. I just wanted to mention the gifts I am thankful for, and to undo another generational curse. All my children must know that they have given their best and their best is MY best. Nothing insignificant about it. Nothing to criticize.

And my last point. My prayers for children who will feel safe telling me anything. My sweet girl, my oldest daughter, asked me if it’s ok for her to go to Gold Reef City on the train with an Indian friend and others, using the Gautrain, as requested by the Indian friend who is leaving South Africa. I never asked my mother if I could do anything when I left home to move into university. It didn’t even cross my mind to. She will be using her money, going at her time – in the morning (I asked) and not on the Sabbath. But she recalled reading how places of mere amusement are a waste of time and energy, whereas recreation was the ideal. A place to go contemplate Christ, His nature… So she wasn’t sure she should go!

This girl tells me about her friends’ interesting boyfriends…. But I never thought she’d ask for permission to go somewhere based on a principle I got them to study years ago. I told her that seeing as it is a farewell ‘gift’ for her friend and they aren’t going just to go waste money, and if she will budget properly so she doesn’t ask me for more money before the month is over, and if she will be true to her principles, I am fine! And I also requested their names which she gave me. I bet she will be excited. I don’t think she’s ever ridden on the Gautrain. It was so different to my childhood trains. Though she’s never taken a trip in ANY train so it might seem normal to her.

But man! I’m so chuffed! She asked for permission when really, unless something went wrong, I’d not have even known anyway. More generational curses being broken by our daughters! What a blessing to know that if you give to the right heart, you will receive in return. She knows she’s my child, but she also knows she matters. So she is able to tell me anything.

Love begets love.❤️

So Much to Live For

It’s funny. I spent so many years crying to God for Him to just kill me. Put me out my misery. No more Ankylosing spondylitis. Just peace and rest. But He didn’t.

Yesterday, a friend sent me a message about the high school my children’s father went to. The phone caller and my friend’s husband and my husband had all been at the same boarding school- the caller was senior to them. The caller asked my friend’s husband how she and their children are, then told him to cherish them, as more than a half of them (He said 70%) who had been at that boarding school were divorced.

There is something about their boarding school that also made them unable to be husbands in the full sense of the word. And he isn’t exaggerating. When my children’s father used to tell me about his ex school WhatsApp conversations, he’d mention another family that had broken up. Some, couples we’d visited together, people I’d come to love. It was awful!

That school is cursed. And include my ‘ SDA’ in law who was also there and has been divorced twice now.

That school did not create men. It created big egos and fragile pride. It created men who boast of their team exploits but can’t boast about their own wives and the sacrifices and work they do for their families because they do not SEE their wives. (Something my friend has noticed about her husband.) This is BAD. They wept and mourned when part of the school burnt down. Now I wish it had entirely burnt down. That school raised a generation of heart shredders.

Even the last person from the high school that I knew who died, died in suspicious circumstances. Questions around his infidelity and MAYBE his wife hiring someone to do the ultimate, a modern day Old Testament punishment for adultery- stoning to death but with modern weapons.

And everywhere they go, they marry and make children before destroying their wives and children.

And so, the wives to pick up the pieces. And they WILL! Because know like them, theu have so much to live for!

Some of the things that force me to stay alive.

Our angel has been active but then causing us to be active too. She has spent maybe five days now, going to the slide every possible moment. One memorable afternoon last week she pulled me out at just before 5pm. (She needs support climbing up the ladder part’ and she needs us to watch her cos she doesn’t have a concept of safety) and stayed out there till we had to bring her in as she screamed and cried to stay out, at 18:20. It has been hard on the body and mind. But then, she switched things around on me suddenly and made it even worse. She started going UP THE SLIDE itself. But she can’t! So now I had to push her up, with my dying arms, and also make sure she doesn’t fall off. One time, her foot left the actual side and was in the air, she couldn’t tell she wasn’t stepping on the slide. And the higher she went, the heavier and harder it was for my arms and strength. And that’s not forgetting the hips, SI joints and back that are also taking strain.

But… I have also been impressed with the folinic acid. I believe it is making a difference to her speech. She tells herself, “Let’s go down the slide… Weeeee!!!” I have her circles that each had one number, and she put them in order from 1-5. So there’s life in that little brain of hers, it just needs you to pull it out so you can figure out what she knows without you needing to give directions or instructions her brain doesn’t yet understand.

And there are simple wins like small Temu windmills.

That is one of my reasons for living.

An SDA wife in Barbados has been having hectic trouble with her husband and nobody to listen till she told me. We’ve been watching each other on Facebook for over eight years.

Our SDA churches don’t have people who check on abused or neglected women. And they shut their ears and still keep smiling and encouraging the man to keep leading. It has made attending church very difficult for her, seeing him ‘serving’ a God he doesn’t love nor obey, and seeing those who know, condoning his hypocrisy. She only realised recently, that it was all stemming from narcissistic abuse. Her husband is cruel to her in different ways, and like all charming narcs, people who pretend to care about values and principles actually don’t. So they don’t disapprove of, rebuke his actions and treatment of his wife. And this includes her one and only mother figure who said, “Well, he hasn’t wronged ME, so it’s none of my business. He’s still my son and I’ll treat him like I always have.” Which means she will admire him. Showing him his wrongs are rights. And that is the other problem with abuse. The narc’s flying monkeys who encourage the evil by never speaking out. That betrayal by others who are the opposite of what Titus 1 wants, which is “lovers of GOOD men,” has hurt her the most. She said communicating with me has helped her more than she could ever express. She too has had money taken from their family by the man. Used for his wants and pleasure and not on her and their children. She said she is finding strength and courage. People don’t care, don’t want to listen, but she will never stop speaking the truth anyway. Now I owe her my life.😅 Can’t exactly go kill myself when I’m helping someone else stay sane and in the process, gaining too!

In the morning in Sabbath, I receive that WhatsApp text sent above. I felt strengthened, encouraged, firm. But by the afternoon, I was sad. Recalling certain events that now made sense and my heart was heavy again. My friend hadn’t replied all messages I’d sent in the morning so I knew she was busy and didn’t want to overwhelm her with feelings she also finds difficult to navigate. So I went to check if my SDA Sister in Struggle had written. If she hadn’t, my next step was another lady who told me she was offering herself as someone to vent to when things become hard and I need to cry it out.

But my Barbadian friend had written. And it gave me the strength I needed to hold my head up, keep nursing my sick children, and keep nursing myself too. Surgery on Wednesday and I’m praying hard I don’t catch the virus the children have. Poor Twin B has a horrible cough deep in her chest, others noses are broken, they’re tired and falling asleep, I didn’t even bother with afternoon ADHD med dose because they’re so miserable anyway. Twin A keeps asking why she can’t get BETTER!!! As if we can control it. Ammy’s throat is horrible sore. She struggling to swallow even liquids.

(Did you know that it takes me days to type just one post? Too much to do, think, research, plan…And now I just remembered I promised I’d order more sand for the sandpit. BRB!)

And I have my oldest daughter to live for. Gaining confidence in spades! She had complained about how she hates that she has the answer the lecturer wants, but is too shy to say so.. then by the time she has the courage, he has answered it himself or someone else has. But this past week!!

And my other daughter…

Her mother’s psych treatment is treating nothing. Mom is still so depressed that she hasn’t even noticed that the signs of neurodivergence in my girl’s youngest bio sister that she mentioned to me a year ago, have gotten much more pronounced. When little sister turned two, her verbal world went silent. Autism allies and parents know what that could be. She had quite a few words she said. But they disappeared and instead, she makes nonsense sounds (vocal stims like our Twin B, perhaps?) Baby girl was already a late developer but now she’s regressed. Crucially, she no longer turns to the person when her name is called. And she hates touch.

How will this 20 year old handle a sick mom and a neurodivergent toddler sister and her own baby? It is HARD parenting alone when there’s an adult there. It’s an empty promise of possibilities. But instead, the adult becomes part of your heartache. And worse yet, the one strong emotion mom shows, is anger when little one has what we believe is a meltdown “crying over nothing.” She beats baby girl. She only turned two this month.

I have to stay alive to see her and my other two graduate.💔🥹

I keep praying for breakthroughs for her and my son. Next year needs to bring more school than this year did. They need to manage their courses, do their work and thrive! And I need to see them achieve that together with my girl in the other province who is making leaps and bounds in her education and is still serious about school. She was lamenting her friends who don’t pitch for lectures just because they don’t feel like it, while also sad for her oppressed Muslim friend who wants to attend lectures but her father said educating a girl is a waste of time and money so refuses to take her to school. And sadly, she is an a hour away from campus in a different direction completely, so my girl can’t go fetch her and take her to school. Sad! We have space for her in our house that our girl is in. But that would definitely be a taboo to her father too.

There is just so much misery in the world!! Her mother is a housewife. Can’t pay for Uber to get to school though she agrees that her daughter needs her degree. So frustrating, the control men have over homemakers!

Anyway, I can’t stay alive for HER. So let’s move on.

I stay alive because of God, of course. Until my lungs fail, or something else kills me, I have to believe I have a reason He has created to stick around this miserable planet. And therefore, I have to reduce the misery others feel while I’m at it. There are so many selfish people who focus only on their own woes when they speak to you. I pray to be able to succor others with the same grace God succours me with. I’ve already mentioned my friend on here before, my other reason for living, so I won’t bore you about HER this time.

I also have to continue being teacher. On Friday, I was in excruciating pain, I settled the children with an activity to keep them busy and went to my room to rest for five minutes before calling pupil number one for class.

I took off my shoes, turned around, and there she was! Seated and ready for school!😩😩😩

So, school it was.

Here’s to another week. My children can’t breathe, are coughing, sniffing, spreading tissues everywhere, one can’t eat or talk or drink because she’s at the sore throat like cut glass phase. I am sad. As Twin B’s OT repeated an adage I’ve seen recently, “You’re only as happy as your most unhappiest child.” Ie If there’s a child who is struggling, miserable, sad, you can’t feel any happier than that. A loving mother frets and feels sorry and tries to reduce the suffering. More with all five being miserable and the terrible fear of catching it myself, that level of ‘happiness’ is extremely low.

And I guess that’s why I will fit ever feel sad. Having a child who can’t express themselves is a pain in the heart that we carry everywhere we go. Having a child who is aware of their academic weaknesses and doesn’t want as narrow a future as their learning disorders allow, does not lead to ecstasy.

But sadness does not need to be shown. It does need to stop us from being what we need to be. And so onwards and upwards we go. We have so much to live for. We have so much care and empathy to give. I hope the last memory I leave for those who have put themselves in my life is one of care and compassion.

Who are you living for?