I've been told by a lot of people that I have a near-infinite well of patience that I can draw from. However, an event from last night essentially emptied the well.
Our home usually acts as neutral territory for neighbors, a bit like Switzerland. We're known for not taking sides in conflicts and acting as buffers, as mediators, and as listeners. As a result, we're usually considered the "safe" alternative by families in trouble.
Over the last few weeks, my wife has been babysitting one child in particular. To call this thirteen-year-old a "problem child" would be an understatement. The child honestly seems to love negative attention. She cuts herself, but not deep enough to do any damage...just deep enough to make marks. She oozes lies through every pore. Personal responsibility for her actions is a foreign concept. In other words, she acts just like my stepson.
My wife has been working with her, trying to help her out. It's been taking a lot out of my wife, but helping her out made my wife feel good. However, after last night, our house is off-limits to this child, because when I stepped out for twenty minutes to go to Movie Trading Company and left her with only my wife for supervision, she went into the bathroom and tried to kill herself.
At least that was what she intended everyone to think. In actuality, the number of pills that she took of what she took is going to do nothing more than make her constipated for the next few days.
Regardless, suicide attempts (legitimate or faked) are really the straw that break the camel's back for me. I've had friends commit suicide growing up. I've had friends with no self-respect who acted in extremely self-destructive manners.
But I just can't invest any emotional currency in someone who is that self-destructive. I just can't. I have my limits, and they have been reached.
So I may not be doing a lot of posting until I'm mentally recharged from the events of last night. Just warning you ahead of time.
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