Author: Patricia Culley

I'm the ringmaster of my own circus. Just trying to stay one step ahead of the monkeys.

Illusions of Beauty layered on Brokenness

Today’s been a hard day for me.

Jon and I have been discussing getting away as a couple.  We need it.  Desperately!

Trying to sort out care for our children is hard.  It brings up insecurities and hurts from the past; and while there are truths that I know, I struggle to move beyond the feelings.

So many tears today. So many feelings.

I watched a TedX talk today and while it was an incredible talk….it highlighted things that I stuff, in an effort to cope.  There are stressors, as special needs parents,  that we just can’t escape or lay down and walk away from.

Exhaustion
Inadequacy
Trauma
Rejection
Brokenness
Grief
Judgment

There are times when I feel capable to carry on.  Other times, like today, I don’t know what to do.  And the tears fall, uncontrollably.

In an effort to pull myself back together and because we are supposed to be going out tonight (to connect with other parents of ASD kids), I do my hair and put my make-up on.

I layer on cover up, foundation and powder, in a effort to combat the destruction of a day of tears.  I  paint on my best smokey eye and in whispers, threaten myself to not mess it up…..as if sheer willpower alone, could hold the tears inside.   I curl my hair and back-comb it into submission.  It’s something I can control, in this uncontrollable chaos that is my life.  I spray on layer after layer of hairspray creating a shell, a protective layer of armor.  Creating the illusion of beauty on top of a layer of brokenness.

That should be my new tagline……

Illusions of beauty layered on brokenness.