We’ve had a powerful group of parents step into this work recently, and I want to take a moment to properly welcome you all in 👇 @Karla Comberiate , @Chris Roach , @Joanne Zecher , @Esther Levandoski , @Gayle Carlson , @Jerri Higgins , @Carolyn Topness , @Holly Gordon , @James Corbett , @Amy Eudaley You didn’t end up here by accident. Every single one of you made a decision that most parents avoid — to stop guessing, stop carrying this alone, and actually do something about the relationship with your child. That takes courage. Period. This community is different. You’ll be supported, challenged, and guided — but only if you lean in 😊 So here’s where I want to start: 👉 Drop a comment below and share your name + where you’re from 👉 And if you’re open to it, what made you say “enough is enough”? And for everyone already in the community —Let’s show up and welcome them all in! 👇

My daughter is an attorney so argues for a living. :) I shared this with my daughter when I felt she was “case building” with me … aka “attacking” … It’s a post I saw that deeply resonated with me … "What My Silence Really Means" When I go quiet, it’s not because I’m fine. And it’s not because I’ve stopped caring either. It usually means I’ve reached a point where there’s nothing left to say that hasn’t already been said. I’ve tried talking. I’ve tried explaining. But when words don’t lead anywhere, silence feels easier. It’s not about giving up, it’s about realizing you can’t make someone understand what they don’t want to. My silence means I’m tired. Not the kind of tired that sleep fixes, the kind that comes from always defending myself or trying to be heard. After a while, you just stop trying. It also means I’m accepting things for what they are. Some people won’t change. Some situations won’t get better. And some endings are just meant to happen, even if you weren’t ready for them. These days, I don’t want to explain myself over and over. I don’t want to argue about things that should be simple. I just want peace, even if it means being misunderstood. So if you notice I’ve gone quiet, don’t take it as coldness. It’s not anger. It’s not attitude. It’s just me trying to protect my peace, to stop fighting things that only drain me. My silence doesn’t mean I’ve stopped feeling, it means I’m finally letting go of what hurts.

Question: Catherine had mentioned, at one point, that we should “print the journal”. Where do we find that journal?

Retired nurse, wife and mother of three adult sons (43, 39, 36). We have six grandchidren.

This is a long one, bear with me if you have the stamina! As I enter into this program to come to an acceptance of what is (what I cannot control) and to change my approach to reaching out to my silent 40-year-old daughter, I am filled with sadness, confusion, and very real anger. The rest is up to her to reach out and respond, if ever. But I’m not there yet. I am posting here a song by Tracy Chapman, with lyrics (below). I view this song first as articulating the mutual misunderstandings (the fiction) between myself and my daughter, who has gone silent and “no contact” with my sons (her brothers), their wives, and me (and her niece, my granddaughter, was born yesterday but there are crickets from my daughter, which is totally out of character). But it would appear in her view that I am the main problem. And I don’t know the reason for this silence for the past 21 months ever since my wife of nearly 45 years, her mother, had severe strokes that have left her paralyzed, with a trach and PEG feeding tube, unable to speak or do anything for herself – a trapped nightmare that I can only imagine and which pains me every day as I am powerless. She was an RN for more than 48 years and her patients included many who were in this or a similar situation. She repeatedly told me and her children that if she was ever in that situation to let her go. Now it is too late. I am angry and sad that I cannot uphold that very real desire because Arizona law forbids any consideration other than maintenance forever, trapped by the legal and for-profit medical system, because her condition is stable and not “terminal”. Anyhow … Telling Stories (Tracy Chapman), which usually makes me tear up every time I hear it > There is fiction in the space between The lines on your page of memories Write it down but it doesn't mean You're not just telling stories There is fiction in the space between You and reality You will do and say anything To make your everyday life seem less mundane