I have no desire to figure people out anymore or why they think the way they do or continue to do the things they do. We’re all living in this insane world and I don’t have time to partake in people’s emotional rollercoasters, midlife crises or manic episodes fueled by politics, religion, marital issues, stress, inability to let go of the past, poor self esteem issues or whatever the hell their issues are- I don’t have a desire to know. We’re all going through something. I have no need to watch it.

I feel like this world we now live in has reached a point of divisiveness where we almost HAVE to take a stand and make choices about what we’re going to tolerate or not tolerate and create boundaries when others don’t have any, or refuse to respect them.

I don’t want to be subjected to certain situations, people or things anymore. Life is wild enough without forcing ourselves to tolerate people and behaviors that we don’t agree with.

I have no interest in maintaining “acquaintances” that I haven’t seen since high school that constantly defend and glorify the things that I morally want to protect my children from, or to maintain fake friendships with people that want to use fb as a place to debate and argue about everything.

This is probably the most wonderful season Gary and I have had in a bit. Life has been so calm and so sweet for us for a good while now and I just want to protect that peace with everything I have. I know how quickly things can change.. how fast my kids are growing… and these moments shouldn’t ever be taken for granted. It’s not for the cheap amusement or nosiness of people that despise us either. It’s a sweet little life we have worked hard for and we love.

I think the best part of aging is seeing people for what they really are. The mask(s) (there are many) really start to fall off. I have to give my husband better credit for his discernment and intuition into people though… He’s almost always right when he tries to tell me things. I think men are better at that because they’re less emotional. He can burn a bridge and never flinch and doesn’t lose a seconds sleep over it. I think as a woman, that’s a little harder for me, because I have an internal desire to fix broken things. I get very mad but then I calm down and I don’t feel mad anymore, so I usually just let things go, and then it happens again. Gary doesn’t even get mad, he’s just done. I wish I was more like that, but I’m learning.

Having said all of that, I AM really loving the new friendships I’m building with my neighbors who are emotionally stable (not partying all weekend, binge drinking, getting high and ignoring our kids) and meeting people in my community with like minds and goals. People who can have children’s birthday parties without a bunch of redneck adults getting drunk. I’m letting go of the fake friendships that don’t offer me anything substantial anymore and I intend to lean more into this new chapter of our lives.

I don’t have an image to maintain- I have a family to maintain. I’m also not judging people who drink occasionally because we do too, but it doesn’t come before our kids and it isn’t something I ever want to let control me again. I went well over a year abstaining and I will absolutely do it again and cut it loose if I ever feel it takes priority in my life or becomes a source of self medication. This is the part of my life where I hopefully get to enjoy the benefits of the hard work I put into breaking generational curses and cycles so my children don’t have to.

I know that Christ calls me to love all people, but he never said I have to like all of them, or continue to be friends with them. He said forgive them if they wrong me, and repent if I have wronged them. I can do that, but I don’t need to know everything about their lives and they sure don’t need to know about mine. 🤍