Estrangement from my adult child causes me to look at the past a whole lot. It has taken the better part of an entire year for me to begin to move forward and lift my head up. I am moving in the right direction. I am beginning to feel really happy. It has been a very long time since I have felt happy. I have to say it feels good. I wake up early, and I am glad that I do. I go to the office with Nelson and we get set up and work together. I answer texts and phone calls, and help Nelson to become more and more successful at what he does. I am actually thinking about doing the same job. It is fun and I like doing it. I still have my voice studio and working with my students. It is great to feel like I am accomplishing something. I am also now, Mrs. Chattanooga America, and will be competing for the title of Mrs. Tennessee America, in April of 2025. I am losing weight and going to the gym. I have my eyes in the right direction for the first time in my life. It feels good.
My non-estranged daughter called today and told me about her own good news. I was so excited for her. I can't say here what her good news is about, I have to wait until she announces it herself. I can say that I am very proud of her. I was genuinely excited, and happy for her. I didn't feel sad, or left out, or alone. She asked me to come and see her. That is exactly what I am planning on doing. She was so excited. I absolutely loved hearing the joy in her voice. I can tell our family therapy is truly helping. It was so hard at first. I believe it is turning a corner and moving forward. My adult son, my non-estranged adult daughter, Nelson and I are learning new skills and now have new ways of interacting. It is so much better. We have a much easier time loving, being kind and supportive, and encouraging one another. That is worth all the hard, painful work, we have been doing.
As for Mrs. Tennessee America, I will be representing a platform of Mental Health. I believe Mental Health is one of the most unrepresented and misunderstood issue in the world today.
Since I have had so much trauma surrounding me since I was a small child, and now have Mental, Emotional, and Physical Disabilities as a result, I want to work to bring more awareness to the needs of almost everyone on the planet. Mental and Emotional Health affects every single person. I have experienced first hand how it can tear a family up. It is time for us to bring it out of the dark and into the light. I am keeping my eyes forward on the work that has to be done to accomplish the goal of becoming Mrs. Tennessee America. This is a very different attitude than I have ever had before. This is becoming more and more important to me. I am proud of myself for doing it.
You can follow my journey towards becoming Mrs. Tennessee America on TikTok, @mrs..chattanooga. I would love for you to be a part of the journey with me. I will need sponsors to help as well. Jump on board the train with me! If you don't get the reference, (Chattanooga Choo Choo), look it up on YouTube. LOL.
Do I miss my estranged daughter? Yes. I still wish that she had not made this decision. Since I can't do anything about it, I might as well celebrate the life that I have now. It was doing no good crying and causing myself pain, by blaming myself. She is old enough to make her own decisions. I love her very much, and I pray for her daily, as I do my other two adult children. I have a choice, to be miserable missing her, or to miss her, and still have a good time and move forward towards the good things that God has planned for me. I choose to move forward, Head Up, and Eyes on the Prize!
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