Adult children can be a pain

Have you ever tried explaining to someone why your adult children aren't around supporting you?

It's not easy. The rest of the world, including some of my best friends, jump to the conclusion that a problem has to be the Mom's fault. I lost count of how many times I have heard "What did you do to those children?"

As I have already said, I yelled and guess what, that's all I have to confess. And, yet after I returned to college my ex did his best to separate the kids' loyalty. He did so under the guise of helping me out with errands. I met a friend at college who told me the next thing was going to be an accusation that I wasn't a good mother. And, yep, she was right. Once such an accusation is out, it's almost impossible to disprove.

And, yet to this day, my children believe the lies he told them after he got a court order to put me out of te house. No, I am not kidding. He told them I never contributed; I worked two jobs until I collapsed. When not working outside of the home, I was selling something and running myself ragged to create extra income he didn't have the talent to bring in.

My eldest son once commented, he was about 12 at the time, "..why do you always work so hard making, sewing things, for everyone else but yourself?" The gods know the good work I did, but to this day I may have one Mothers' Day card and even he doesn't bother to call.

I sure would like to meet the couple that actually had a civil divorce.

I still do my best not to bad mouth my ex; although it slips out from time to time. No, I wouldn't have married the man if I could have seen into the future. Not for all the tea in China or the gold in Fort Knox. Let's hope women will learn how to do a better job shopping for a husband.

Laura Bell
writer@well.com
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