I feel like I should go back and read my very first LiveJournal entry and write something similar. Or maybe after the passage of 21 years, I wouldn't be able to write anything similar to whatever I was thinking/feeling at 25 years old.

Today would have been my sister-in-law's 46th birthday. But instead, we're about 4 months away from the 4th anniversary of her passing. Hayden and Avery are great kids, but not without their struggles. I am proud of Greg for having them in counseling and trying to break the cycle of emotionally distant and immature parenting that we were raised with. He makes mistakes, for sure, and when things come out of his mouth that sound JUST like our mother, I cringe. But he is trying and what more can be expected? We were not provided with the tools, so we have to learn them as adults.

After nearly 15 years of pretty regular therapy, I have learned to quiet my mother's voice in my head and I have erected some firm boundaries. Moving 30 minutes away from her hasn't hurt either. I still have lots of work to do, especially around my thoughts and feelings regarding relationships and the value they may or may not have in my life. But I like my therapist and I want to continue to make these changes and grow, so all is good.

That's probably enough for my first post back. I hope I remember to keep posting.