Mum

My mother and I have always had a complicated relationship. She is an extremely difficult person to be around, and the anxiety and stress of being in her company is quite unbearable. For most of my adult life we have lived in different cities, and knowing she’d be visiting would send me into a panic.

A few of years ago my sister cut all communication with her, and more recently they began a slow and sporadic reconnection—I suspect because of the grandchildren.

It’s very messy.

And now, in the last couple of weeks I’ve gone through the beginning of a sudden and devastating separation—from a 20 year relationship. I find myself in my 40s, homeless, and living with my Mum and Dad in their home.