I've always lived a very sheltered life. All through high school I was never allowed anywhere without my mom. I couldn't go to a friend's house, the mall, or even the movies without my mom there. I grew up completely envious of my friend's who could go to my friend's birthday parties or to the beach. I wasn't allowed to go to a school dance or a football game. At one point, my dad found out I had kissed a boy when I was sixteen and grounded me for a month. I despised my parents.
There came a point where I was sick of it, and I'd just leave. I couldn't stand just going to school and back home everyday. I needed some space, some time alone. I felt really lame telling my friends that I never did anything, so I began to make up stories. Then, I started to just leave. When I'd just leave, my mom would punish me further, by taking my cell phone, or not letting me on the internet, which made me feel even more trapped.
Time progressed, wounds healed, and my parents divorced. Since my parents were too preoccupied with their own life's to manage me, I began to have more freedom. But still, I had watched all my friend's have these experiences that I never got to have. Then, my little sister hit puberty. She had so much more freedom then I did. She could do anything, go anywhere. I'm still jealous to this day. About a year ago my sister got involved with the wrong crowd. She would go to their house and do drugs. Within a few short months she was expelled from two schools and had no friends. She stopped being my sister and became this compulsive liar. There was a time when I hardly recognized her. She would legitimately scare me at times. My parents decided to send her to an all girl's boarding school in Montana.
I feel responsible for this. I feel that I should have done something to prevent all of this from happening. I should have been able to show her that you don't have to pretend to be something you aren't to impress people. I then realized this is why my mom was so hard on me. She didn't want me to end up on the same path as my sister. With all of this going on with my sister, my mom and I became really close. We both realized that we've made mistakes, and began to work together to do whatever it took to help her.
I can't believe it took my sister's drug problem's to bring my mother and I closer than we have ever been. The only direction we can go is up.
I'm sorry to hear that you were sheltered as you grew up. I can relate in someways because I wanted to do things that my parents didn't necessarily want me to do. It must of been rough for you, but you seem like a strong lady that is doing well for herself! :)
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