This is what she said to my husband yesterday when she came into the living room to go out front to throw something away and saw him typing on his computer.  I was in the bathroom and overheard.  He said "Nope."  And she replied "Aww, too bad!  You need to keep up with that!"  Then she added "Tell Shay I am STILL waiting for my crackers and cereal!"  And that's all she had to say about me. 

Never mind I am a writer, too.  Never mind I've written just as many, if not more books than my husband.  Never mind we have the same amount of books published.  Never fucking mind all that.  She loves to tell everyone "Oh, my son-in-law is a writer!" and they are shocked to find out so am I.  "Why didn't your mother tell us that?"  Because, my husband is her golden child.  And I am the person who supplies her with the items she wants and needs.  That's it.  Never mind I've been an artist my entire life and my paintings hang on our walls.  Or that I can play the violin.  Or that I am really good at building things.  Or I am a great mother and my kids love me.  Or that I am full of compassion and kindness and will help anyone I can.  Or that I am a defender and protector and used to protect her from my father.  Or even that I am a good driver (when I drive).  Or that I am creative in any way.  Nope.  I am none of those things to her.  She doesn't see me.  She sees the version of me she wants to see: the genie who grants her wishes (though not in a timely manner, she would say, because she complains about everything I do).  That's it.  She doesn't even tell people about that, either.  She leaves me out entirely.  Because she has a son-in-law who writes!!  So that makes her special.  

The difference between me and him?  He was picked up by a publisher (Wizards of the Coast) for a line of books back in 2007.  He wasn't published, mind you, as they pulled the entire line of fiction in order to concentrate on whatever they were releasing at the time.  It was great, we got a book advance for nothing, and we didn't even have to pay it back.  It paid for our wedding.  But that's it.  Ever since then, we've been writing and self-publishing, a few of which have five-star reviews (the rest just don't get reviewed, which is annoying LOL).  But see, since he was picked up by a major publisher, she can then take his accomplishment and use it to make her look special.  Even though he's not her family and even though she had nothing to do with it.  But see, to her, everyone is the same, related or not.  We're all objects to be used.  And since me and my kids haven't done anything of note (meaning accomplishments we can show off to others), nothing we do actually matters.  It doesn't matter if I am a good painter, nobody is hanging it in a gallery, so how can you brag about that?  

It's ridiculous.  

Not only that, she can then use this idea of my husband as the "published writer" to make me feel small.  She KNEW I could hear her.  She does this when she's bored.  Compliments people for something that other people in the house do, so that person feels bad she isn't complimenting them, too.  She knows exactly what she's doing.  And that angers me.  What a horrible human being you need to be to make your only daughter feel like a piece of shit just to make yourself feel better.  Good grief.  When I spend every single day doing her laundry, dishing out her pills to her, cooking for her, shopping for her, etc, etc.  I don't spend all day doing those things, but I do spend a good chunk.  And all she does instead of saying thanks is belittle me or complain.  Like I recently bought her a SHIT TON of oatmeal she likes.  But I didn't buy the one specific one she likes (they didn't have it), so she complains I didn't buy that one.  And then she wants me to go buy her cereal instead.  Nothing I do for her is good enough.  And she wonders why I don't like her or want to be around her.  Because every moment she spends with me is her doing those things: complaining, asking me to do something for her, or asking me to do something different from what I just did for her.  It's exhausting.  

2023 is the year of saving for us.  I have several savings accounts as well as savings systems.  And we've been already saving a good amount of money and it's only the 23rd of January.  Mr. Brooks has a job interview on Wednesday for a job in what he's going to school for at his work (he already knows all the HR people, too, due to his participation in a group they all belong to).  So maybe he'll get it, get  raise, and we'll be able to save even more?  We'll see.  If not, we're still off to a good start, but we can do better, too.  Our goal is to save $20,000 for a down payment for a house.  We don't have anywhere near that, but we will.  Maybe not all in 2023, but a hopefully we'll have over half, at least.  

We get a house?  We can put her in a home.  And I won't have to deal with this anymore.  Or at least start the process (Medicaid is very particular).  

And now I am off to go edit one of my memoirs.  Too bad my mother doesn't recognize I am a writer.  I mean, I wrote an entire book just about her!  Well, more than one.  

::gigglesnort::