Stomping on broken glass

Forget tiptoeing on egg shells around you. It’s more like stomping on broken glass. As much as I try to skirt the issue, telling you I don’t want to talk about it anymore, you continue to poke that bruise.

He made his decision, and you have to recognize what it is and acknowledge neither of us, at this point in our lives, are likely to change. Trying to get me to be the conciliatory one, to pretend there are no insults, no disrespect, is no longer hurtful. It’s maddening.

Were he anyone else you would be incredulous that I put up with his disdain. You would counsel me to change jobs if a boss or co-worker were so difficult, or divorce an emotionally abusive spouse. Just because we share DNA doesn’t mean I have to accept his behavior. This is no longer my problem, it’s yours and it’s his.

If you fear his retribution, or rejection, should you defend me, if you worry that he will withdraw his attention and affection… consider that continuing to put me in situations that are psychologically toxic, you threaten our relationship, and the closeness you have with my family.

You need to respect my requests to stop inserting yourself into this estrangement. You can’t fix it, no matter how much you want to, or how hard you pray, you’re only making it worse. Perhaps instead you should pray for acceptance

Trifecta, a weekly one-word prompt, challenges writers to use that word in its third definition form, using no less than 33 words or no more than 333.

The week’s prompt is: Skirt [verb\skurt] 3: to go or pass around or about; specifically to go around or keep away from in order to avoid danger or discovery.