Nurture Yourself Absent

She stops at my house nightly Demanding my full attention. I am apparently the only bridge she has not burned. Her mother and sisters have blocked her from the phones. They are horrible, she tells me. And I believed it. For a while. The dog barks when the car comes to a halt. My husband begins to complain. I ignore them both. They have had me for years. It is her turn. She tells me her story, it is sad. Nothing good. No laughter or love, everything bad. Every single thing. My dog runs off, to get away. My husband stays in his office, with the door shut hard. When she leaves my energy will be depleted. I will be sad. My mood will be bleak. I might even be afraid of myself. You have got to stop doing this, my husband warns me. But she has no one else. There is no give and take in these visits. She does all the talking. Everyone in her life has done her wrong. No suggestions will work, so I have stopped Making them. She is completely oblivious to my pain. After she leaves, it takes me hours to regain my normalcy. The car stops. I throw the door open. Greet her with a smile. “Come in!” I say. Caring for her more than me.