Running Away

(photo by Georgie Pauwels (c)July 2, 2016 on flickr)

I think once we have reached a certain age, we have all been in situations where we needed to escape. Bad relationships, toxic friendships, abusive home life are three scenarios that come to mind. Unfortunately, your family members are not always your best allies through life. I am constantly surprised, on social media, by the stories people share of dysfunctional childhoods where they no longer have contact with a birth parent.

I immediately think of one relationship where I dropped off a boyfriend’s spare key and prayed that he would never contact me again. This man was psychologically controlling and made me feel like I was always in the wrong. I could feel myself slowly disappearing into his shadow and it felt scary. What made it even worse was having a young daughter to protect. Luckily, when I ended it for the third time, he finally left me alone.

I also ran away from my relationship with my sister. We were estranged for the last twenty before she died. She always blamed me for everything that went wrong in her life. She suffered from mental illness and couldn’t accept responsibility for her own choices. Our relationship became toxic, so we avoided each other to minimize conflict. However, I feel sorry for how it upset our mother.

Sometimes we run away from certain challenges, like an education or a job. Perhaps anxiety gets in the way of completing a task or taking a trip. Have you ever run away from something or someone? Please share a comment below.