True North. Returning to Me.

Below are some of the words that have been on my mind and their meanings.... Entitlement: The belief that ones is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment Entitlement might look like assuming your child is obligated to speak to you, visit you, or meet your new love interest just because you're their parent. It ignores the fact that you are largely absent in their actual day-to-day life, that you haven't previously taken into consideration how your actions might make that child feel, and that the effort you have decided to start making isn't yet reliable. Entitlement might also look like believing that because you do something that lots of people don't do as well as you, that everyone should celebrate you, give you money, and let you bypass the rules that apply to everyone else because you're special . Entitlement might also look like a "grandiose sense of self-importance" and "belief in being special".  Performative behavior: actio...

There are some upsides and some downsides to your ex-husband's secret girlfriend being a pseudo public figure. Upside: You found out your ex-husband HAS a girlfriend AND that she lives in the house you own together. Upside: You learn a lot about your now very secretive and uncommunicative ex-husband's financial choices, including said girlfriend living rent-free in that home, feeling very lucky that her "partner" is financially established (even though he's really not because he's borrowing money and paying the mortgage late) so that she has a free house to live in, the constant traveling that costs money, and that she is an unemployed stay-at-home...runner? that he apparently now supports (while telling me he cannot meet his financial obligations to his children).  There are some downsides too though, like Downside: learning your ex-husband moved his girlfriend into your co-owned home 7 months before you found out on Instagram. Downside: Getting to watch your...