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Tuesday, June 06, 2023

The Reality of the Dead Disney Mom

There is a trope in Disney films, particularly the Princess movies, that

involves the death (usually off-screen) of the main character’s mother.

After the death of the princess’s beloved mother, her father remarries

and his new wife subjects the poor princess to all manner of cruelty.

The princess becomes a slave, is abused, neglected, etc. 


The Dead Disney Mom trope has been attributed to the tragic loss of

Walt Disney’s own mother, Flora Disney. The story widely told is that

she died as a result of a gas leak in a house that Walt had purchased

for his parents. Apparently, Disney was so grieved by the loss that he

created a long list of characters (not just princesses) whose mothers

have died. 


Of course, a quick Google search can squash this rumor. Snow White,

which was released a year before Walt Disney’s mother’s death,

featured a princess whose stepmother not only abuses her and makes

her a slave, but hires someone to take her into the woods and kill her. That fact begs the question, why do most Disney princesses have dead

mothers? 


The answer is pretty simple, but it opens up a very difficult and

uncomfortable conversation. Disney moms have to die in order for

the princesses to undergo trials and tribulations at the hand of a mother

figure. After all, no natural mother would treat her child that way, right? No

mother would subject her birth-child to cruelty, abuse, and neglect, would they?


Short answer, yes. They would. And sometimes they do. 


The stepmothers, adopted mothers, and kidnappers who torture the

long-suffering Disney princesses have some common elements. They all

exhibit forms of narcissistic behavior. Snow White’s evil stepmother resents

the fact that her young stepdaughter’s beauty has surpassed her own.

She cannot allow Snow White to outshine her.



Cinderella’s wicked stepmother uses her as a Scapegoat, banishing her

from the inner circle of family and treating her as little more than a servant.

Meanwhile, she spoils and indulges her two natural daughters, the Golden

Children, who are as wicked, cruel, and narcissistic as she is. 




I think the most blatant offender is Mother Gothel, from the Rapunzel story, Tangled.

This mother figure is so obsessed with her own beauty and vitality that she kidnaps

the princess Rapunzel as a baby and keeps her locked in a tower in order to use the

healing power of the girl’s hair for the sake of her own vanity. Throughout the film she

belittles, manipulates, and gaslights Rapunzel to make her doubt herself and to cause

her to fear the world outside. 



The fact that Walt Disney used stepmothers or mother figures to perpetrate such

cruelty and abuse is telling. Movie audiences are much more likely to believe that

a stepmother is capable of such behavior rather than a birth mother. Birth mothers

are caring, nurturing angels after all, correct? 


Perhaps most are, but not all.


Some birth mothers are cruel. Emotionally distant. Neglectful. Manipulative. Verbally

and mentally abusive. 


Some mothers verbally abuse their children by saying things like, “You’re such a stupid

little idiot” or “You can’t do anything right” or “No one will ever love you.


Some mothers invalidate the feelings of their children by saying things like, “You’re just

too sensitive" or “Can’t you take a joke?” or “You can dish it out but you can’t take it.”


Some mothers emotionally manipulate their children by telling them, “If you really loved

me, you would do ______” or “Everyone else is bad. I’m the only one you can trust.” 


Some mothers use one of their children as a Scapegoat, focusing all their narcissistic

rage on them while doting and heaping adoration on their sibling, the so-called Golden

Child. 


Such facts fly in the face of everything we as a society believe about mothers. As

evidenced by the flowery greeting cards designated for Mother's Day,

society puts mothers and motherhood on a very high pedestal. Mothers

rank up there with saints and angels. They are thought of as impossibly

good, gentle, and selfless. We don’t like to think about a cruel, abusive,

or narcissistic mother. 


However, the uncomfortable truth is that they exist. Most often, they only fully

unveil their true selves behind closed doors. After all, appearances are everything

to the narcissist. While she may appear charming, funny, and even admiring of her

child in public, this type of mother reserves the worst of her abuse for the times when

no one else can see. 


That’s the most insidious part of this type of abuse. It’s hidden. There are no outer

scars or bruises There is no proof that the abuse is even taking place. It’s all hearsay.

Oftentimes, the things that happen are so ridiculous and wild that even if the child

managed to speak up, no one would believe them. 


Why would your mother do such things? She seems so sweet. Surely you must have

misunderstood. You must have done something to have provoked her. 


It’s incredibly lonely to be the child of this type of mother. You see other mothers who

truly love their children and you wonder, “Why can’t I have that?” 


You may even blame yourself and think that if you could just be/do/have

(insert quality here) that your mom would love and accept you. 


The hard truth is this: giving birth does not make you a mother. And it certainly

doesn’t grant you innate powers to be a good one. Being a good mother is a choice.

You chose to do right by your child whether it benefits you or not. You chose to

sacrifice, to put yourself last, to empower your child

rather than tear them down. 


The Dead Disney Mom is the ideal: the good, virtuous, selfless mother who loves her child

unconditionally. It’s what most people are given in a mother.


The Evil Stepmother is the reality of what children of narcissistic abuse experience

even into adulthood. 


One of the most poignant moments from the movie Tangled is when Rapunzel finally

escapes from the tower and immediately begins warring with herself over leaving.

While she’s overjoyed at having broken free from her “mother,” she has an

overwhelming sense of guilt at “betraying” her. She goes back and forth between

exuberance and self-loathing for a long while before finally deciding to move

on with her quest. 



Being the child of an abusive mother causes the same inner conflict when, as an adult,

you have to make the decision to go No Contact or Low Contact. It’s excruciating.

Society demands that you “honor your mother,” and if you distance yourself, even

to guard your mental and emotional health, you are seen as disrespectful and ungrateful. 


But sometimes this is necessary. Sometimes, in order to heal, you have to set tough

boundaries with your abuser. That may mean keeping contact distant and to a

minimum. In extreme cases, it may mean cutting that person off completely. 


It has little to do with forgiveness. You can forgive the neighbor’s dog for biting you,

but you shouldn’t stick your hand over the fence again. And it’s not about

punishing your mother for hurting you. It’s about making it harder for her to hurt

you again. 


Disengaging is unbelievably difficult. It goes against everything we’ve been

conditioned to believe about mother/child relationships. Most people will just never

understand. They’ve been fortunate enough to have mothers who give them

unconditional love. They can’t imagine a mother who purposely hurts, humiliates,

and harms her child. Good for them. 


For those who have managed to break free and are now working toward healing,

I applaud your bravery. 


For those who have gone on to become the mom you never had: the nurturing,

selfless, angel, I applaud your tenacity. Breaking generational curses like the abuse

cycle is incredibly hard, especially when you have no good example to follow.

Often in these cases, the best you can do is imagine what your abusive parent would

do and then do the opposite. 


If nothing else, know that you’re not alone. There are people who know exactly what

you’re going through. There are whole books on the subject. There are support groups.

There are subreddits. 


I see you, Princess. You can break free, with or without Prince Charming.

It’ll hurt like heck, but it’s far better than the constant pain of being abused by the

person who is supposed to love you the most. 


Don’t worry about what anyone else says or thinks. They have not lived your story. 


Give yourself the happily-ever-after that you deserve. 



Monday, May 13, 2019

Things I Will Not Give My Children

Today is my younger son's birthday and there has been a lot of discussion about gift-giving. He's listed several things he wants and I've done my best to grant his requests within reason. However, there are some things that I decided long ago to not give my kids. They're intangible, but they carry with them a lot of weight and influence. I can't say that I will never give these things to my children. After all, it's difficult to break the chain of modeled behavior. But I will do my best to never impart these "gifts" upon my sons.

I will not give my children:

Destructive Criticism-
There is a HUGE difference in lovingly showing a child that they've erred and berating them for making a mistake. If they don't fold the towels properly or they spill their milk or break a knick-knack I want to keep my cool. There's no need for dramatic screaming or name-calling.

Speaking of name-calling...

I will not give my children:

Demeaning Names-
Pet names are cute (mostly). I often call my sons "Dude". I will not however, call them ugly names out of anger. There is never an acceptable reason to refer to a child as a "stupid little idiot" no matter what they've done.


I will not give my children:

Blame for My Bad Behavior-
"I'm sorry, but if you hadn't made me so mad I wouldn't have_____" is not an apology. It's just another way of saying "You deserve my abuse."

And while we're on that topic...

I will not give my children:

Emotional Manipulation-
My children DO NOT owe me anything. Yes, I gave birth to them. Yes, I raised them and provided for them. That is my duty and privilege. That does not entitle me to anything of theirs and does not make them beholden to me. They do not have to do anything to earn or retain my love. Repeat: They do not have to do anything to earn or retain my love. Period.

I will not give my children:

Disdain for Their Talents/Interests-
I will not mock my sons for "wasting paper" with their art or writing projects. I will not sneer at their creative endeavors. I will not dismiss their creations as worthless or frivolous. I will also not criticize them for what they enjoy. I may not understand their love of Dystopian Fiction or Five Nights at Freddy's, but I won't mock them for liking them or try to keep them from enjoying them.


I will not give my children:

The Brush-Off-
Yes, there are times when they want my attention when I happen to be very busy. I have to remember though, that every moment is precious. They pass and are quickly gone. I don't want to look back and regret not taking advantage of the moments when my children wanted to talk to me, sit next to me, cuddle with me. I want to try to set aside whatever I'm doing and give them my attention. I want to ask how their day went, how their projects are progressing, how they feel about this or that. Their thoughts and opinions matter to me and should be heard and acknowledged.

I will not give my children:

Comparison-
My sons are pretty much polar opposites. But their uniqueness is important to who they are. I don't want to ever make one feel like they are less than the other because they don't do ________ as well or they aren't good at _________. I don't want to compare them to other people's children either. I want them to own and be proud of who they are, quirks and all.


I will not give my children:

Pressure to Perform on Command-
My children's gifts and talents are their own. They are not a commodity for me to use to make a name for myself.

I will not give my children:

Reason to Doubt that I Love Them-
Oh sure, they may feel I'm mean when I discipline them, but they'll know deep down that I do it because I love them. Love is an action. It's not a thing that is bought and sold. Buying "stuff" is not an adequate expression of love. Love is being there when my children need me. Listening to their problems and worries without judgment. Supporting them on the sidelines or from the audience without calling attention to myself. Knowing their favorite color, their favorite song, their biggest fear. I want to show them that I love them in all the small, everyday ways that add up to a lifetime of confident knowledge that they are cherished beyond words.

I don't claim to be a perfect parent. I make mistakes every day. I don't want to be above openly apologizing to my kids when I mess up. "I was wrong. I should have handled that better. I'm sorry." I'm imperfect and so are my sons. But we love and respect each other and we encourage each other do better. That is family. That is Love. 

Monday, December 31, 2018

Progression

In terms of music, a progression is a succession of chords which gives a piece of music its harmonic movement. In a chord progression, each chord moves to the next, propelling the music forward. Every chord is an important musical building block of the piece as a whole.


I am looking forward to the new year with the idea of progression at the forefront of my thoughts.  It is my wish that every day, every moment, every choice will be for the purpose of moving forward. Not in a mad rush, but in a steady succession of events and days and decisions. This, of course, means willfully releasing the past. I don't mean forgetting the past. I should always be aware and in touch with what has come before in order to learn and grow. However, I cannot let myself be so anchored to the events of the past that there is no forward motion. I should not live thinking back to what could have been and playing moments over and over in my head in an endless loop.

A piece of music can't be made up of one chord played over and over. Well, it can, but who would want to listen to that? Sometimes, all we can do is stop agonizing over the past and move on to the next thing. It should be simple, right?


There is often a danger of confusing contentment with complacency, but a person CAN be content without being complacent. One should always be moving forward in personal growth, always striving to be a little bit better. I never want to say to myself (or anyone else) "Well, this is as good as I get!" I don't want to get to a certain age and just stop. I don't need big, dramatic changes; even tiny steps upward and/or forward are positive motion. I don't want this kind of progression because I am discontented. I simply find joy in the process, in the growth and evolution of who I am.

And so the harmonic movement of my life is composed day by day and moment by moment. It doesn't always follow a steady andante, but again, an unchanging pace would be boring. There will be times of rapid movement when events shift and change from one measure to the next. There will also be gentle lulls when days slow and the movement is so subtle it's barely noted.

Now, at the great fermata of 2018 before the clock strikes midnight and a New Year begins, I think ahead (only slightly) and prepare myself. There's new music waiting to be written. The final strains of the preceding chords fade and I take a giant lung-bursting breath, ready to lift my voice in new notes and new ideas in a brand new shining year.

Happy New Year, everyone.

 Let's make some music.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Not-So-Chunky White Duchess

I have been on a journey. It began last summer after I visited my sister and took this picture:
It's like a side-by-side after/before ad for Jenny Craig.

I was mortified by how I looked. However, it went far beyond looking fat. I felt sluggish and unwell. I couldn't do a lot of things that I wanted to because I just didn't have the energy or stamina. I decided to make a change. 

I was nervous about such an undertaking. I knew it would be challenging, but I could also see where I was headed if I did nothing. One side of my family tends to be overweight and I was told from an early age that I would likely follow the trend when I got older. I worried that maybe that was truth; maybe getting fat was unavoidable for me. Maybe I was fighting a losing battle. 

Fortunately, the other side of my family is stubborn tenacious. I was not going to Fatsville without a fight. I began simply. No fad diets. No pills. No supplements. Just careful calorie and activity tracking. I got a new Fitbit and started using the MyFitnessPal app. I really became more conscious about what I was taking in and how much activity I was doing on a daily basis. 

My job is largely sedentary, so I set my Fitbit to give me hourly reminders to get up and move. I started going to the gym regularly. At first I just walked on the treadmill or rode the bike. After a while I added in some classes: PiYo, some yoga and even kickboxing. I gradually added in some weight training as well. 

My diet has never been really terrible, but I did have a portion control problem as well as a penchant to snack a lot at night. I cut down my meal portions but added in regular healthy snacks during the day so I never feel overly hungry. I cut out late-night snacking by instituting a 10pm Unplug for myself. By 9:50pm all my electronic devices are turned off and I am in bed (away from the kitchen) with a good book.  

Since the end of the summer last year, I have gone from a size 12 with achy knees and ankles and some serious gut issues to a size 6 with knees that can hold up for a run and two back-to-back weeks of VBS. My energy is great and I feel better than I have in AGES. 

But this is the most important part: There is no end in sight. I'm not going to get to a certain weight or dress size and say, "Ok, I'm done. I can go back to what I was doing before."

This is a lifestyle change for me. This is the way I will be from now on. And I'm happy. I love going to the gym. I enjoy the foods that I eat. I allow myself a treat now and then, but I am not interested in letting this go. It's not that I'm just afraid of gaining the weight back. I love how I feel now. I didn't realize how bad I felt before. Even my anxiety issues have gotten better thanks to regular exercise and cutting a lot of the crap from my diet. 

I was almost 40 when I started. I had a lot of bad habits and a family history of weight issues. I could have said, "Well, everyone in my family is fat" and felt perfectly justified. But I want to be a good example for my children. I want to be healthy for myself now and for my future self. I want to be able  to hike Cinque Terre or climb the Tor at Glastonbury when I'm an older lady. I don't want to be a burden to my sons when I'm old because I didn't take care of myself. 

So there it is. My "Yay Me!" post. I won't apologize for it. I worked hard for it. I'm still working hard. 

But it feels amazing.


*I could not have done this without the awesome support of my husband. He's been on this journey with me and is such an inspiration to me. He looks amazing too!



Wednesday, November 08, 2017

My Big Fat Fabulous 40th Birthday

Most people view turning 40 as an occasion to be dreaded and greeted with black balloons and much sobbing. I am not most people. Oh sure, getting older is not always fun. I have more aches and pains and creaks and groans now. I also have more experience. I've done a lot and been through a lot and survived a lot in my 40 years on earth.

Over all, my life so far has been pretty charmed. When compared to a large percentage of the world's population, I am living the dream. Still, I've had my ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade any of it or wish it away. Not one moment. Each moment has brought me to right where I am, and to be honest, I like where I am headed.

I am cresting that proverbial hill, but I still see a lot of life ahead of me. I feel as if I am finally settling in to who I truly am and what I am called to do in this life. The puzzle pieces are at last coming together and I am beginning to see a clearer picture of myself.
And I look pretty darn good!

Since I'm 40, my kids are older and much more self-sufficient, so I have more time to devote to my passions. Lately, those passions have taken less of a hobby type role and more of an Oh-my-goodness-I-can-make-money-doing-this type role. Just a few years ago I never would have considered such a thing. I didn't see myself as a real artist because I didn't have the confidence to put myself out there and share what I created.  I began slowly and anonymously, but over time I have learned and tried and worked to hone my craft. 

I am grateful to the community of artists and kindred spirits who helped me find my way. I am also enormously grateful to my husband who has been so supportive of my journey. He has had a huge part in helping me get over my crippling fear of failure and gain my confidence. I spent such a long time feeling unworthy and useless and he helped me to at last feel as if I have a voice and a purpose.  

I look at turning 40 not as the end of my youth, but as a positive turn towards finding myself and my raison d'etre. There are so many things I want to be and do and see. This is not the beginning of the end; it's only the end of the beginning. 


I remember when my parents turned 40 and I thought they were ancient. I see now that 40 is not nearly as old as I thought it was when I was a teenager. And as much as everyone likes to joke about everything being "downhill from here," I just choose to view it differently. 

Standing here now, at the top of THE HILL, I have a clear view of what's ahead and do you know what I see? I see another hill. You see folks, Life is not a hill at all. It's a freakin' mountain chain. I choose now to move on from this hill to the next one and climb it like it's a jungle-gym. 

I may moan and groan at times about being old, but I really feel as if my best years are still to come. There's a lot of life left in this gal and I'm not going to let a number like 40 make me slow down. 

I am just getting started!



*A very special thank you to Leann Hill for the amazing photos. Check out her portfolio here.


Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Pant Rant

Maybe it's the sinus meds making me stupid bold, but I just gotta say it...

I freakin' hate LuLaRoe.

I keep getting added (without my permission) to LuLaRoe Facebook groups and parties and it's making me crazy.

Y'all, I get it. Leggings are comfortable. Fine. Wear them, but wear size appropriate and AGE appropriate leggings please.

I am thoroughly confused by the number of women over 40 who are sporting "pants" that look like they were purchased at Justice or The Limited Too. Come on, ladies! Do we really need to wear neon leggings with ice cream scoops or puppy faces printed on them?

These are just plain pugly. *Ba-dum-bum!*

The ladies who sell these things shell out big bucks to purchase inventory and if they don't sell, then what? Do they get any of their investment back? Is anyone besides the LuLaRoe company making any money? The way some of these gals are aggressively pushing their "parties" I'm guessing the answer is no. Speaking of parties... there is usually wine there, right? I suppose after knocking back a few glasses of Pinot this stuff might look good. 

Lisa Frank got totally trashed and decided to make pants.


"But they're soooo buttery soft," all the SAHMs coo. That does not make up for the fact that they are butt ugly and should not be worn by any female older than 6. I have come to terms with the leggings-as-pants fad. However, these prints and styles are totally ridiculous outside of a Kindergarten classroom. 

These double as a play-mat if little Jimmy gets bored in church.

Ladies, I know comfort is key when juggling kids and work and life in general, but that shouldn't mean sacrificing style. LuLaRoe is laziness. Seriously, I can go pick out the same outfit in the Garanimals section at Walmart. Whatever happened to dressing with sophistication? 
Candy corn ain't sophisticated.

We Southern ladies have always been known for our class and elegant style. Why are we sinking to wearing stuff our daughters would find juvenile? Is it about fitting in? Is LuLaRoe the new cool thing? Just remember how you laughed when you looked at old photos of your mother from the 70s and 80s. Think ahead 10 or 15 years to your daughter howling at your many Outfit-of-the-Day pics and see if those banana print leggings are still appealing.
Get it? A-peeling? 

And we won't even go into this:
Holey obnoxious leggings, Batman!

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Repairers of the Breach

We are 11 days into 2017 and I'm just now settling on my claim for the New Year. To be honest, I've spent the past week and a half just trying to catch up after the holidays. 2016 was such a looooong, disturbing year and I've needed a few extra days to "get over it."

So, here we are. 2017! I'm happy to have the past year behind me. It was so full of loss and heartbreak that  touched EVERYONE! Bowie seemed to be the catalyst, dying on this day one year ago and setting off 2016's year-long celebrity massacre.

I experienced loss in my personal life as well. My dearest aunt died quite suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving me and my family in shock. It was a tough blow to lose the woman who had been more than an aunt to me when I was a child. She had been a wish-giver, a secret play-mate and a source of love and laughter that I needed in those days.


On the day of my aunt's funeral I also said goodbye to my dear neighbor to whom I had grown very close, and who had become a motherly figure and mentor for me. Unable to live alone anymore. she moved hundreds of miles away to live with her daughter.

Just before Christmas I lost my former Sunday School teacher, fiercest prayer warrior and sweet confidant. She was a great lady who prayed me through my teenage years and taught me by example about how to live a godly life.

Now, as I'm a week and a half outside of that painful year, I have decided that 2017 is going to be the year of Redemption and Restoration. It's not really as serious and solemn as it sounds. If last year was a year of loss, this is the year that I will reclaim and restore what I can. Many things have already been set into motion and I eagerly await the chance to share them.
Return to Oz?

I will begin with myself. I want to restore my body and reclaim my long-dormant creativity. I want to exercise my body and mind. I miss the person I once was, full of energy and imagination. I will find her and reclaim her. I watched a video this morning about a man who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. In the midst of his pain and suffering, he began working on an old church, repainting and restoring it. Over the three years he worked on it, his body healed. His cancer went into remission. The restoration of the church brought restoration to his body and soul.

I'm tired of sitting around wishing I could do this or that. I want to reclaim my life and live it to the fullest. I have let my personal identity and dreams once again get buried beneath the day-to-day stuff. Responsibilities are important, but I have sacrificed a lot of who I am to things that won't really matter tomorrow. Sometimes I even use those responsibilities as an excuse and a place to hide, telling myself, "I can't write right now, I have to fold the towels."

No one will remember me for how neatly my towels were folded. If I want to make a difference in the world (and I certainly do) I need to stop hiding behind my "real job" and get out there and do things that matter. Not just for myself, but for society. I want to use my Art and creativity in ways that make things better. The world is hurting, and if I can create one moment of beauty out there somewhere, I will count myself a success.

So here's to 2017. Here's to hoping for a restoration of things lost, a healing of wounds and a reclaiming of peace. We've got a lot of work to do.
Isaiah 58:12