DoT #2-Something I love about myself

There are actually many things I love about myself, although several of them are also double-edged swords: they are great but they also suck. You'll see what I mean.

-I am empathetic...sometimes to a fault.
-I am giving...sometimes to a fault.
-I am determined.
-I am imperfect. I freely admit this. I am proud of my imperfection.
-I have big dreams for myself and my family.
-I am liberal.
-I love my family so much, and will fuck you up if you hurt any of them.
-I am laidback, and enjoy simple things, like spending a solid hour on the couch with someone I care about, or reading a good book.
-I love to try new things.
-I have high expectations for myself, and even for others, but I give others the benefit of the doubt. Meaning, I don't expect people to be at the top of their game all the time. I don't expect perfection. I don't hold people's mistakes or faults or weaknesses against them.
-I am intelligent and I love to learn.
-I am sensitive. I am emotional. I am outspoken about these things. I am honest about my feelings. I wear my heart on my sleeve.
-I love to laugh.
-I have a wonderful sense of humor, and I use it to my advantage when I can. I use it when others are in pain or uncomfortable situations. I use it to smooth things over in crappy situations at work.
-I am unselfish and forgiving and helpful and hopeful and sincere.
-I have hope for others. I have hope for this fantastic human race. That it's not all bullshit, that we aren't all selfish and evil, that there are others out there like me, who give a shit, and will do what is right for the future of our children.
-I love with my whole being, even when it hurts me. Even when I don't want to. Even when I see that it isn't healthy or right or good for me, I love.

I want to teach my daughter that these are good qualities to possess, to aspire to. Redeeming, sincere, wonderful, admirable. That none of these qualities are anything to be ashamed of. That she doesn't need to feel guilty or apologetic or less than.

To teach her this, I have to believe it.
I am working on this. I am working on me.
I am worth it.
And she is definitely worth it.

30 DoT->Hate is a strong word

Day 01 of 30 Days of Truth-Something you hate about yourself.

I find hate to be a very strong word. And asking me to admit to something I hate about myself? Such a loaded request. I always say that I don't hate anything, and maybe that is true, maybe not. So, rather than argue about whether I truly hate something or not, let's just move on to the things I don't like about myself very much (hate): 

-I am so damn needy when it comes to a relationship with a male: I want attention! I want you to be able to read my emotions. I want you to want to spend time with me. I want you to miss me. I want you to tell me you miss me. I want you to be touchy-feely with me: let your hand lightly graze my arm, play with my hair, randomly hold my hand. 
Honestly, I don't think this is too much to ask, and also? I know that most people want these things. But I crave it so much, like a damn alcoholic craves that bottle of Jim Beam at 8am. I ache for it. And being that I'm not in a relationship at all, it's even worse. But even when I was in one, it was awful. No man likes a needy woman. No man wants a woman who craves sitting next to him on the couch all the time. I know logically that it is super-annoying, but omg, I'm needy. 
(I will never re-marry, will I? FUCK.)

-I am super-laidback, which translates into wishy-washy and indecisive: I go with the flow. If I'm hanging out with a friend, and we both decide we are hungry, I don't even care where we go to eat. So I let her decide. And when she asks me "What do you want?" and I say "I don't care", I really don't care. It's not that I don't want to make a decision. But it looks that way, doesn't it? I hate that my laid-back nature screams I DON'T FUCKING KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MYSELF, SO PLEASE MAKE THE DECISION FOR ME, BUT MAKE SURE YOU GIVE ME HELL FOR NOT KNOWING WHAT I WANT, FIRST, M'KAY? 
(As an aside here, if I am in the mood for something specific, like going to see an independent film, or stuffing my face with sushi, I will for sure say this when we are trying to figure out what to do with ourselves.) 

-I am forgiving. To a fault. And while that can be (and is) a wonderful quality to have as a friend/wife/mother/sibling, it is also very frustrating and upsetting to me. Because sometimes I feel like people are taking advantage of it. Because sometimes I don't want to forgive, and I actually fight myself with every fiber of my being to just be fucking pissed off and NOT forgive for once, will ya???,  but it never works. I always forgive. And then I'm angry with myself because I forgave, but it didn't really fix anything. 

-I love sleeping. Which would be fine if I didn't need a job or have a child. If I had my hammock in my backyard right now, I would be sleeping in it. 

-I am a guilty person. I am always filled with this free-floating guilt, and I attach it to the most ridiculous things, like taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon since I have no job. Who gives a shit if I take a nap? Will anyone that really knows me think that I'm a lazy jobless fuck? No. Those that know me are aware that I've applied to every job that interests me, and that I am far from lazy: I've organized my closet, I've scrubbed the bathroom floor, I've painted the bathroom walls, I've organized my personal files, I've cleared out every unnecessary file off of my computer (including the very necessary SOUND FILES, fuck).....I am far from lazy. Yet. I feel so guilt-ridden when I doze off and wake up 2 hours later. 
Oh, and the crazy doesn't end there. I feel guilty when I spend $3.52 on a coffee at Starbucks. Or when I get a pedicure, because seriously? I could just paint my toenails myself and save the $30. Better yet, I could use that $30 to buy my daughter some new craft supplies. (Btw, I haven't had a pedicure in well over a year.)  I feel guilty when I buy the bread I like, as opposed to the bread everyone else likes. I feel guilty when I look forward to time away from my daughter. Or look forward to taking a shower by myself, just so I don't have to hear "Mom, the water is too hot. Mom, I don't like the smell of your body wash. Mom, why aren't you ready to get out yet?" 
GUILT GUILT GUILT.

-I start things, and then don't always finish them as quickly as I planned (0h, there's the fucking GUILT again). Like, I check a book out at the library that's been on my reading list for months, read a chapter, and then....stop reading it. Not because it isn't interesting, but....just...because? Fuck of I know. It's so annoying. 
Or I will say "Yep, today is the day I call the insurance company to have my auto insurance policy put in my name only". And then...I don't do it. And I don't do it the next day. Or the next day. And there's no damn reason why. I think about doing it, but I get a bit nervous or anxious or bored, and then...well, maybe I'll do it tomorrow. Ha. 
Again, it's so damn annoying. And it makes me look wishy-washy. 


-I care what others think. I care that people think I left my marriage, since I'm the one who moved out of the house. I care that I am jobless and people might think I'm lazy. I care that people see me working at the restaurant, and they might think I'm a total loser for not having a job with my f-ing master's degree (yet, I don't think any of the people I work with there are losers). And I tell friends all the time "Who f-ing cares what other people think?", but I can't take my own advice because I DO. 

Bah. 

And this, folks, is why I am a walking contradiction. 
Full of guilt.