You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.
– Anne Lamott
Confidentiality:
we ask that you keep confidentiality for anyone else who may have played a challenging role in your recovery journey. Even if you don’t mention a specific name, be careful that the identity could not be easily inferred due to an immediate relationship, such as parent, etc. This includes facilities and/organizations as well as individuals.
– DBSA’s Guidelines for Life Unlimited Stories
Then, there’s this: I have a tendency to exaggerate. I do not lie, but I am known to have a flair for the dramatic. So when my uncle read my piece about my father’s dementia, he became very alarmed, not knowing that my father is still quite sharp. My dad’s definitely still smarter than your average bear (Yogi Bear reference, for those not in the know). Both of my parents are smart cookies. Today, I use clichéd idioms. By the way, I identify with them both, and not just because they are intelligent (yes, I boast). My mother and I share personality characteristics. As a mother, as a mother struggling with a chronic illness, I feel compassion. When I was a teen and a young adult, I was brutal in my disdain for her. Motherhood is a thankless vocation.
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