Monday, June 16, 2008

Walls

Fun Monday's topic today was about walls. The assignment was meant to display the physical walls in your home, but the wall that concerns me the most today is the one towering between me and my son.

My house is currently oddly silent, although we are all here. We are dancing around each other's presences, with Kira nearly desperate to maintain some normality. She is determinedly coloring and reciting lines from her play and creating things with her dolls.

Mark walks from his room to the bathroom and back. He made a ghostly appearance downstairs long enough to wordlessly consume some dinner, and then disappeared back into his bedroom.

In half an hour or less we will all be going to the school to attend a meeting for the seventh graders and their parents, where I assume we will put on faces of normality, although perhaps quieter than usual. I cannot imagine smiling and chattering and pretending that all is well, although I know that I will do all those things, and do them with skill.

We are dancing, he and I, around things that were said this morning. Around the discovery of yet another trivial and needless lie on his part, which led to an argument and punishments meted, and disrespect, and harsh words said at the bus stop that his sister overheard and reported to me after school. Words of hatred and violence that stun me from this child of mine, this treasure.

There is betrayal and disappointment and hurt. There are wounds that cannot be staunched, that remain open and bleeding. There is frustration, on both sides, I imagine, although I wonder if I can still say that I know my son's heart. There is dismay. I cannot begin to figure out how to breach this wall that seems to have sprung up, whole and enormous and bristling, between us. I am not sure if I have the strength to try.

I am not even sure if I want to.

8 comments:

Kate said...

I already have similar musings about my relationship with my daughter - she is only 8.

So much work, this parenthood.

Anonymous said...

I hope the two of you have talked.

Joanna said...

I know how hard this is. I am so sorry. You will get over this and so will he and one day (maybe not right now) He will realize exactly how hurtful he was. Kids have no idea how powerful their words are.

markira said...

Ro: yes, we have. It's better.

Kate & Joanna: It *is* hard, isn't it? Man!

The Beast Mom said...

And don't we all know what that feels like to have that kind of silence/awkwardness/pain in the house? Yes, we sure do. Part of being a family, you know? At least sometimes...

-bm

Jenny, the Bloggess said...

Oh, my friend, my heart hurts for you.

I know it doesn't help much but I remember becoming that angry kid around his age as well. It didn't last terribly long but I know it was difficult for my mom. Someone once told me that kids have to do this in order to break the bonds to prepare them to leave us eventually but that doesn't make it much easier.

It will get better. Remember to tell me all of this when Hailey's his age and the roles are reversed, okay?

Woman with a Hatchet said...

I'm so sorry. I get it though, and my kid is only 7. Sometimes she makes me wish I wasn't her mom. Other times I'm really glad I am.

Parenting is a psychotic gig!

Anonymous said...

I survived one teenage girl in the house, 17 was a horrendous year! I have a 10 year old anxiously awaiting teen-dom! Will I survive? I think so. My oldest and I are very close now, in heart, if not distance. She just moved FAR away! Hope things get better soon! Hugs from me!