This Ends With Me. | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

This Ends With Me.

Short story of coming to terms with the complicated grief, haunting memories and family trauma.

639
This Ends With Me.

Sometimes I wondered why families continued on if it was for people who kept having kids to give them a chance to make up for any past mistakes or lessons not learned from the previous family members and maybe when they finally did their family would find peace. At least that’s how I felt growing up. Always wondering why me?

Why can I see through my eyes and no one else’s? Why am I feeling certain things when no one else is? I always questioned everything. I grew up to be very observant and quiet. I analyzed everything and everyone around me. I remembered emotions and faces, the fire burning behind brown eyes, or the tears being held back. I remember the physical pain, the pain I never got to experience but the pain others did around me. I remember it all. I felt like I was cast as an extra in my life. To observe but not to be a part of it. At least that’s how it felt because deep down I knew I was avoiding the truth.

Is that why I always tried to find peace in others? Relationship after relationship I was looking to be saved or feel safe. It wasn’t until I was 24, and more developed and educated on myself and life, that I found real love. Once I realized it was in me the whole time that when everything changed. I found out what I was running from and it was myself. Me. Because I am a part of my family and my family is a part of me. Everything I saw growing up I still remember I hold onto it like some quilted blanket, patch after patch, designed in detail taken time and you can see the story and emotion behind each and every one of those patches. Each other represented a day, a year, a month an event that occurred. The emotions are so deep and so intense that when you take even one look at it, it gets you. Your heart feels like it’s being grasped by the hand of God himself, your eyes are frustrated because they don’t know whether to cry or look away, your mouth hangs open and your face starts to swell. Your blood vessels become more dilated by the second and like the floodgates of heaven, you find yourself no longer suffering from the drought. You’ve looked at it long enough to learn and listen, to recognize and realize all the pain and suffering ends with you.

Just like healing from a physical wound the pain still lingers for a while, whether you like it or not. You start to second-guess yourself, you feel guilty and ashamed for your decisions. But what about the others? But what about you? Leaving that environment feels like leaving your younger self behind, as you climb into the car and look back all you see is a young child who looks exactly like you waving goodbye, with sorrow on their face. But after you make the decision your anger begins to set in, you're no longer near the environment, how could they do this to me? It's okay to be upset, actually, these feelings of anger have always been there hidden behind closed doors waiting for the day to finally shine through and confess the truth. After anger comes sadness and after sadness comes melancholy. So what now... Now you realize that you are not the wearer of the blanket you do not need to walk around carrying those heavy burdens, and you don't need to feel the guilt anymore but what you do need to do is heal and recognize that this doesn't need to go on forever. It ends with you. So do it for you, and for those who come after you so they never know the pain you've carried for so long.

Just because you don't remember doesn't mean I don't.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Report this Content
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

180393
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

7417
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

452597
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23341
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments