When I was young, probably around the spirited (and by spirited I mean spiteful) teenage years, I remember saying things to mom like: I hate "so and so" I hope that "something bad" happens to them.
And my mother would always say: "Wish them the best."
"Wish them the best?"
Puke!
Then when I was a little older, in my carefree (and by carefree I mean crazy) twenties my BFF and I whenever we felt like wishing "harm" on someone, we would make fun of that famous statement that I guess all mothers make: "Wish them the best!"
Mockingly we would say:
"Wish them the best but hope for the worst!"
And really for the most part the "harm" we were wishing wasn't that bad, spiteful yes, hurtful not really...
You know things like:
"I hope she wakes up with a giant zit on her nose."
"I hope he goes bald like his dad."
"I hope she gains 20 lbs."
Or maybe even more spiteful "wishes" when it came to affairs of the heart that ended badly. Things like:
"I hope he gets an STD."
"I hope his thing falls off."
"I hope his brother sleeps with his wife on their wedding day."
You know things that were more like karma biting you in the ass.
And no matter what, as soon as that thought would pop into my mind: "I hope they get a flat tire." I would hear my mother's voice: "Wish them the best" followed by me and my BFF's voice taunting: "but hope for the worst"
Really in hindsight the only reason you would "hope" for something bad to happen to someone is if you were hurt in some way. Wronged in some way. You didn't just go around wishing zits and STDs on everyone. You didn't want the entire male population to be walking around dropping their members on the ground but you did in some way want karma to bite that person who "wronged" you in the ass.
And wasn't it to "teach" them what is was like to be hurt or wronged in same way. The person you were wishing this on needed to learn. Or needed some compassion or needed to know what it was like to have what happened to you done to them. Even if it was just being made fun of over a zit.
But Infertility isn't a person you can wish an STD on.
With Infertility you are in pain all the time.
And most people lack compassion when it comes to Infertility.
They take their fertility for granted and can't understand.
They announce their "Oops I'm pregnant" and you wish...
"We weren't even trying" and you wish...
"What's the big deal you can just adopt. I would have no problem with that" says the women with 3 kids and you wish...
"I got it on my first try" and you wish...
And all you feel is wronged, hurt, robbed.
And sometimes I can't understand HOW they can't understand and I wish....
I wish...
I wish them the best and I hope...
I hope...
I hope they can understand someday without EVER having to experience the WORST.
I wish somehow they would know how this feels.
I wish they KNEW!
But I wouldn't wish THIS...
This pain...
This suffering...
This feeling of loss...
on my worst enemy.
You are right. I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone but I sure wish they could understand. Generally though, I am my own worst enemy.
ReplyDeleteVery well said. I wish people could understand but the only way to understand is to live it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone either.
ReplyDeleteU agree. I wish people could understand it without having to experience it. I think people would say and do a whole lot less stupid things if they truly understood it.
ReplyDeleteSo true. I wish people understood the pain of infertility without going through it as well. Then maybe they’d understand more why I don’t want to go to the baby showers and the birthday parties...and why I bury my hopes of a family into all my training. Maybe they wouldn’t think we are selfish for keeping our distance. Thank you for writing/sharing this, Michaela. <3
ReplyDeleteIt's really easy for those who haven't experienced infertility to minimalize it. So much can be learned form reading infertility blogs but most often only those suffering seem to search them out.Such a well written post.
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