The stage I’m in is officially survivor guilt I think. It might be worse than the angry stage I went through. It physically hurts to be here in time without my baby.
I have never in my adult life had any kind of freedom to be able to do regular things. It always involved me finding someone for David. Before his dad moved away, it was him. After that…sometimes Kyle. Sometimes my personal support worker. But it always involved ME making arrangements. Sending texts. Making sure supplies and meds were ready. Making sure David was changed and happy and clean and ready. Again. I was good at those things. I arranged my entire life around a little boy who was the official boss of my life. And I miss it. A lot.
It started with one day me walking out the door free as a bird to just put my shoes on. And leave. I was driving to work. I had a full blown panic attack about half way there and had to pull over. I didn’t know what set me off.
Moe and I made travel plans for this summer just recently for my sister’s birthday celebration. I didn’t have to look at a calendar. I didn’t have to beggggg for help to keep David. I just said “yes” to the trip and the days.
This last weekend I got up at 3am. Took the puppy out. And left my house for an entire 3 day weekend to celebrate my mom’s birthday in South Carolina.
I’ve been working in his room. So slowly but a little at a time. I’m not really doing much in there, but trying to clean it up. I finally took his ornaments off of his tree and sobbed. His tree isn’t down yet. I’ll get there though. Today Onyx, our new puppy went in there and dug a hat out from under his bed and started chewing on it. Clearly David had already done a number on it in that department. And it was cute that Onyx had it and liked a piece of David.
But ALLLLLL of those things. I feel incredibly guilty about it all. I think back to that day in my car on my way to work. I wish I still had to change him and give an update about him to his PSW before I walked out the door to work. I was extremely careful when I had to be mindful of how many hours I was gone a day to be able to have enough money to pay David’s PSW. I don’t have to do that now.
Making plans to travel for a week without checking with his dad to see if he could help me is unheard of. It took a ton of behind the scenes work to be able to leave David with anyone else but me for an entire week. SO much work.
When I was in SC this weekend. I felt bad for having fun. And I had so much fun with my mom and sisters and mom’s friend. But the entire time, I was thinking I shouldn’t be able to have this much fun. My son died. I should stay sad all the time. It is extremely surreal that I didn’t have to call and check on him daily.
I feel guilty about getting a puppy. While he’s distracted me immensely, he wasn’t meant to replace David. I feel badly that we didn’t get him when David was still alive. We had always talked about getting him a puppy to watch over him. I wish David had got to meet him.
The guilt is strong. And I THINK it’s normal from what I read. My grief has been a little different through the stages than what is written. And it’s because I was so entwined in David. And he was entwined with me. And I loved him and still love him so so very much. I miss him. I wish he was here. I wish I still had to make my life revolve around him.
I am trying to enjoy my days. He’s in my heart for sure. Sometimes I am happy though. And I’m trying to get through the horrible guilt of that. It’s always there.
So for any other grieving mothers. I feel you deep in my soul. I feel you deep in my heart. I feel you deep in my mind. I don’t care if it’s new or if it’s old. No parent should have to say goodbye to a son or daughter ever. It’s not natural. And it’s so hard.
But we can be ok. Even when we feel guilty….we can still be happy sometimes. I wish it didn’t feel like a crime. Because it’s not a crime to keep living. We will miss them forever but we have to keep living to keep their memories alive and be able to relive those happy memories.
That’s it for today. Random ramblings about guilt. It stinks to feel guilty about something you’re not guilty of.