A Mother's Love
Mental illness has a profound affect on the family. I have worked in the same geographical location for fourteen years and I have seen the impact on families. Today, I was talking to the mother of a patient and she told me he was no longer a part of her life.
Think of what it would take for a mother to say those words. I know the history of this case and I know what this mother has done over the years. She has put up with a lot and allowed this individual to live with her even though his behavior is often violent and, at the very least, stress provoking. The words, "he is no longer a part of my life," were not uttered in haste or in anger. They were instead her acknowledgement that she could no longer subject herself to such a chaotic life.
I understand completely. She was not angry or vindictive. She did not sound remorseful or offer apologies. She paid her dues many times over. She sounded resolved and matter-of-fact. Her decision was arrived at after years of heartache and denial.
Imagine your child having a mental illness so severe you would choose estrangement over being with them. Mental illness is the robber of dreams and a destroyer of family relationships.
Even a mother's love has limits.
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long ways from home
A long ways from home
True believer
A long ways from home
Along ways from home
Until the next time
John Strain