I've written quite a bit about my mum on MN lately, but quite honestly she's driving me insane. I feel terrible for saying that as I was raised to believe that you shouldn't ever criticise your parents and she's a good mother in the sense that I know that she does love and care for me, but I find being around her so draining.
She never stops moaning. I mean constantly. She barely stops for air, and it's usually about the most ridiculously trivial things. She has a pretty charmed life. She is semi retired and only works a few mornings a week, paid off her mortgage years ago, and whilst not millionaires they are pretty comfortable by today's standards. She's in pretty good health for her age as well, but you'd never know any of this if you had to listen to her for five minutes. She is always complaining about how terrible and stressful her life is and how she needs another holiday, but she's always on holiday. She and my dad have about three or four a year and that's on top of the countless weekends away they have. I've not been away for a few years because I can't afford it but I have to sit there and listen to her moaning when I know she was in fucking Spain only a month ago!
I know people with terrible personal problems like terminal illness, financial burden, close bereavements and they never moan as much as she bloody does. It's hard to hold my tongue in her company, she's so bitter about everything and has become bitchy and mean spirited. Apparently all her friends have nicer houses than she does and it's so unfair because she's worked hard all her life, but there is nothing wrong with her house, and people who visit always complement her on it!
She is quite a heavy drinker, and I think this makes her this way and I've said on another thread that I think she is a functioning addict. Alcohol is a depressant and is possibly contributing to this behaviour somewhat. But she is defensive about it and woe betide anyone who makes a joke about her drinking, she can't laugh at herself at all. Funnily enough when she's on holiday I feel so much more relaxed because I don't have to listen to her latest whinge!
It's got to the stage now that I want to avoid her because I find her constant negativity so so galling. I'm worried that one day I am just going to explode and tell her exactly what I think and she'll probably never, ever speak to me again.
Please someone help me regain my sanity!