I've been dealing with an extreme amount of inner conflict for quite some time now, just about over a year to be exact. Let me just lay down some facts to start off, just so everyone is up to date with my troubles...
I started dating this wonderful girl in March of 2011. We hit things off rather well, and like every other young couple, we eventually became intimate. About two months into our relationship, she informed me that she was pregnant. (No biggy, she and I had talked about if the situation were to arise.) We had convinced ourselves that we were very much "in love" with each other, and that we would raise our child, eventually get married, and live a happy and wonderful life. That all changed near the end of her first trimester of the pregnancy.
There had been a few days in a row in which she did not want to see me, where she just wanted some alone time. I was hurt by this, but I observed her request and gave her a few days to herself. After three or four days, I was finally getting antsy to see her. On July 6th of 2011, I picked up some flowers and surprised her at her apartment. I presented the flowers to her, stating that I had only wanted to see her for a few minutes. I can't really explain how things happened afterwards, but she broke up with me before I left, stating that I was becoming too clingy and immature for her.
I was broken. I drove off filled with anger and frustration. At that moment, I did not want to live anymore. For the next four months of her pregnancy, she treated me as if I was some horrible person whenever we encountered at her check-ups. She would barely speak to me, and when she did, she was very rude and aggressive towards me. I began giving up on ever getting back together with her, the girl whom I had fallen so madly in love over. As the days continued, we eventually held more civil conversations.
Finally, she had texted me, saying she wanted to meet up and talk about everything AFTER FOUR AND A HALF AGONIZING MONTHS! I was still incredibly hurt, but I agreed with her that I would meet up to talk about things. When we met, I was shaking from my nerves, afraid my heart would be crushed even more. The strange thing about that day was we had actually talked ourselves back into a relationship, and just two months before our child was due.
So as somewhat of a recap, I had been left broken-hearted for basically my whole Summer (and it didn't help that my grandfather had passed away just a few months before that as well). But here's where the demons really started "setting up camp" in my head...
On November 17th of 2011, I had left work early because I wasn't feeling well when I had received a call from my girlfriend's mother, saying that she was going into labor... FIVE WEEKS EARLY?! I couldn't believe it; I even called up my father, who is a doctor, to see what the likelihood of myself making it to the delivery would be. He thought I would be able to make it, seeing as the drive would be a little over an hour to the hospital. As my mother drove me to the hospital, I received another call from my girlfriend's mother...
Our son had arrived into the world, and I was not there to witness it, or even cut the umbilical cord.
I was crushed. I missed out on the birth of my first child, my first son! When my mother and I arrived at the hospital, I could barely look my girlfriend in the eyes because I was so infuriated with her and with God.
She and I had just talked a few hours earlier about how I wanted to be there when our son was born, but no! I was screwed over by her, and by God! My inner demons were growing and laughing at me, and they still do to this day.
If you've read this far, I thank you very much for your patience and my venting. I have been holding in these emotions for quite some time now, and I am doing everything I possibly can to keep myself from making them obvious to the people I care about. I will make it known that I had proposed to my girlfriend one month after our son was born, on December 24th of 2011, and that is because I do love her and care about her. But now in July, eight months later, I am having second feelings about my situation.
I am not happy.
I work 10+ hours a day, five days a week, making a little more than minimum wage, and yet my now fiance still treats me like I don't do enough around the house. I pay all the bills and our rent; I pay for all the groceries; I pay for the gas in my car, and even sometimes the gas in HER car. I love my fiance, and I love my son, but I do not feel as if they love me back. I am not treated with the respect or love that I should deserve. I contribute close to 100% of my family's expenses, and yet I'm still the one who needs to "clean the dishes" or "vacuum the rugs" once I get home from work.
What does my fiance do all day? Yes, she takes care of our son, but she also sits around on FaceBook trying to run her photography business. (Which frankly, her photography business is going nowhere.) And when I ask her why she couldn't have done any of the cleaning while I was gone, she replies with a "I've been taking care of the baby all day."
Don't babies sleep and take napes during the day?!
I have so much more to rant / vent about, but I feel as if this is good enough for now. To whomever has read all of this, please reply with any insight/ thoughts/ opinions/ or advice that I could use. Please and thank you!
James (lol)
ReplyDeleteI want you to know that I didn't know about most of this AND Icould see the problem the demons can cause.
For your relationship: I think its natural for you both to take up the housework, I know you have lived together far longer than Mike and I but we both do a lot around the house, its how it works with being a couple. Should she do more because she is home? Of course. But it is a lot of work taking care of a child by yourself.
As for not being there for the baby being born, is that her fault? i mean was it possible for her to reach you sooner? You will only know the answer to that but its possible you just couldn't be there. it happens from time to time and its not the end all be all of your relationship.
I am not a relationship expert but I have been in many long term ones and I want you to know it is natural to second guess especailly with marriage on the way. But if you love her like you are saying you do, then maybe there is a way to talk to her and compromise about some of the things that bother you.