In my family I am, more often than not, the organizer and planner of good things. I seem to know what needs to be done and can make it happen. But sometimes (ok maybe often) I take it too far, thinking I always know what’s best, and end up feeling like everything depends on me. Afraid that everything will fall apart if I take a break. People are often telling me to stop trying so hard. Easier said than done!

I give up!

No matter how hard I try

I can’t make things right

I try so hard to make everything better

But it’s making things worse

Holding too tight

Trying to control

Strangling, crushing

I give up

Maybe I just need to stop

Stop trying so hard

But then what do I do?

What do they really need from me?

Maybe I don’t know what else to do

And what if I stop trying so hard

And it all falls apart?

What if they see that I did not try to stop it?

But could it really get much worse than this?

Do I really want to spend my life

Hiding problems like they don’t exist?

Overcompensating for perceived weaknesses,

Trying to cover up strife

And this anger

What to do with the anger

Is it wrong? Or just misguided?

Should I try to banish it?

Or redirect it?

I must not use it to try to control others

To force them into my picture of perfect

To love dearly

One must hold loosely