Hugs to you Christmas cookie. Yes rejection messes people up, its a terrible feeling, and its insidious. The rejections I've experienced have stuck with me. When it comes from family, that's developmental. It affects a person's development, outlook, personality too probably. I like to think that there is hope, change, and love and belonging for everyone who has experienced the life changing affects of it in childhood and young adulthood. In my experience, therapy has not helped me in this way. But I still have hope. Covid is helping me realize what is important to me. That 8 month old memory of my aunt not wanting the hat that she asked for, I'd buried it. I have to think it came up for me for a good reason and I feel empowered a little. There are things I want in my life and things I don't want in my life. That starts with me. I saw a quote on pinterest recently that went something like "I just woke up one day and decided I didn't want to feel that way anymore, or ever again. So I changed." We have the power to set boundaries with people in our lives. We have the power to not interact with certain people or even groups of people if we don't want to. I don't know how I'm going to stick to not talking to my aunt. She texts me sometimes. That's it. All I have to do is not text back. I considered telling her how it made me feel. But it was 8 months ago. I don't know if it's still....like I do not think she would take it well. She is kind of messed up.


Thanks for the encouragement re volunteering.


I hope you are taking care of yourself during this time of covid and the things you've been dealing with yourself.