Tag: relationships

• I go back to December (actually September-December) all the time

  It’s my own fault, although, I’m trying to have grace. Leaving an almost 10 year relationship, with kids, isn’t exactly a walk in the park. I feel like I’m relieving those 4 months that really solidified that I needed to leave. It’s almost like Groundhog Day. The same conversations and arguments that go unresolved. Almost…

  Jessica Blake

  May 5, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  empowerment, family, grief, healing, life, love, mental-health, relationships, self discovery, self-love, writing

• Hope is a sneaky bastard…

  Hope can be a wonderful beautiful thing… But sometimes hope is one sneaky bastard. Hope can keep you somewhere you don’t belong for too long. “Maybe it’ll get better.” “Maybe he’ll hear me this time.” Sometimes in order to heal you have to let go of hope… Sometimes you need to realize the current situation…

  Jessica Blake

  April 22, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  emotional-release, empowerment, family, grief, healing, life, love, mental-health, narcissists, relationships, self discovery, self-love, writing

• Navigating Nonlinear Divorce: A Journey of Self-Rediscovery

  The author reflects on the complex journey of contemplating divorce, especially with children involved, while dealing with a partner exhibiting narcissistic and alcoholic behaviors. Emphasizing personal growth, self-rediscovery, and establishing boundaries, they acknowledge the challenge of navigating timelines in life and advocate for prioritizing one’s own well-being amidst uncertainty.

  Jessica Blake

  March 8, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  family, life, love, mental-health, narcissists, relationships, self discovery, writing

• Sometimes One Phrase Wrecks Your Plans

  Several weeks ago we talked about divorce mutually. I was excited, I was happy. He was going to do this peacefully. Thank god. But I think he saw I was ok with it. I think he was hoping for chaos and pain. I was calm. I was hopeful. So he threw out, “ok I’m going…

  Jessica Blake

  February 28, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  empowerment, family, grief, mental-health, narcissim, relationships, self discovery, writing

• Releasing What I Didn’t Know I Was Holding

  For several weeks, I have just felt a tightness in my neck. To the point it almost became unbearable. A few nights ago, I put my neck massager on and almost immediately found the knot. I let the massager do its thing, felt a pop, and suddenly I could almost hear better in my left…

  Jessica Blake

  February 4, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  family, grief, mental-health, narcissists, relationships, self discovery, writing

• I’m Still Here…Just Processing

  Things have not gone according to plan, or at least the plan I created in my head. I wanted to file on my birthday and serve in the days following. However, that was the same week I went back to work. My nervous system became overwhelmed. I couldn’t file. I couldn’t even think about having…

  Jessica Blake

  January 18, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  family, healing, life, love, mental-health, narcissim, narcissists, relationships, self discovery, writing

• Slow is Still Forward

  I was certain I was going to file. I had reached that place — the place where your mind feels resolved, your heart feels quiet, and you think, this is it. I’m ready. And then my birthday came. And the waves came with it. More than anything in the days prior, I had been steady.…

  Jessica Blake

  January 9, 2026

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  emotional-release, empowerment, family, life, mental-health, relationships, self discovery, writing

• Building Flowers in a Burning Room.

  

  My kitchen table is covered in tiny plastic petals.Yellow, blush, ivory, sage.My hands are snapping together LEGO flowers while my life feels like it’s quietly imploding in the background. The world I live inside right now is loud.Emotionally unpredictable.Heavy with tension.Full of things that make my nervous system brace itself even when nothing is “happening.”…

  Jessica Blake

  December 28, 2025

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  grief, healing, life, love, mental-health, narcissim, relationships, writing

• A Level of Irony I Couldn’t Make Up if I Tried.

  Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! This is one of the gifts my husband got me. You know… me living in the soft-launch home version of Gilead. Gilead the prequel. I laughed so hard and he didn’t know why. Of course I followed it with “Thank You.” He said, “well we never finished the show…

  Jessica Blake

  December 25, 2025

  Uncategorized

  christmas, emotions, english-major, family, gilead, love, mental-health, relationships

• Small Voices, Big Reminders

  

  I was organizing the house for Christmas — the quiet, in-between kind of organizing where nothing is actually finished, but everything feels like it’s slowly finding its place again. Half-sorted toys sat in wild piles that became more chaotic as the boys dug through them. The boys were doing their usual parallel play, where they…

  Jessica Blake

  December 23, 2025

  Real Life- Author’s Posts

  family, grief, life, love, mental-health, narcissim, relationships, writing