Envy Sucks

by Anonymous

Visitor's story:

Well, my father came from "old money" and my parents expected a significant inheritance shortly after they married. It didn't work out that way, and we lived in a trailer park when I was little.

My father had wanted to be an engineer but was not accepted into engineering school (not something I knew about until later). Both my parents were overweight and my mother had been obese during her early adulthood.

So.......I got conflicting feedback, from getting good grades (97%? where is the "other 3%....yes, literally, that is what I was told).

When I was 30, I was at a family party and my parents were there also. A guest told me that I was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. My mother overheard this, and later she and my father both commented that they never told me I was beautiful because they didn't want me to "get a big head".

I was no where near getting a "big head". I was constantly criticized. I developed OCD when I was 10. (Since been resolved. :-) ).

I became an engineer....I have done a lot of things.... but as an adult, the constant insults and eye-rolls caused me great turmoil...... am I doing something wrong by trying to do well?

It wasn't until I had my first child, and I could see objectively how they were going to put him through the same thing......that I confronted them. And just left their lives.

Other family members have left their lives, too, I found out later.

All this really sucked when it came to my marriage, because I was used to making everyone else happy, and being insulted and ignored.

Today, I try to keep my kids away from envy. And yes, I do tell them when they misbehave. But I NEVER criticize them personally.

~ Anonymous ~