Peace of Mind

I have always been known for my temper and lack of patience in dealing with things. If I get mad, the anger gets the best of me- I act before I have a chance to calm down and think logically.
That started to happen a week and a half ago...
After my 'friend' had gone to Idaho to take care of things with her mothers passing, I learned that her mother was actually an old friend of mine from when AOL chat rooms were our only form of social media. One of my friends had remained close to her and knew all sorts of things that I apparently needed to know! I won't go into detail, but I did learn some things that were disturbing- that told me I had been lied to and misled by someone I cared about and trusted, someone I opened my heart and home to. After getting the info she gave me I did some digging of my own and learned this person living in my home has active felony warrants here in Utah. This, along with the crimes committed and the background I learned... led my husband and I to decide she was no longer welcome in our home. I would pack her things and put them in the shed for her to get when she returned from Idaho.
In the process of packing her things, I walked into a nightmare of moldy dishes, gum in the carpet and on the wall, needles everywhere, trash everywhere... I was blown away! As we packed and cleaned up a little, we found things that upset me more and more, proof that I was being taken advantage of, lied to, and best yet- felonies were being committed out of my home, with my address as the location things are being sent. I was livid! The reality of what was going on didn't truly set in- I just knew I wanted her out of my life. The following morning I sent a text stating that her belongings are in the shed and she is not welcome here... ever, after picking her things up. There were guilt trips and verbal attacks, that just made me smile. Normally I would attack back, anxiety getting the best of me, but I just brushed it off... words can hurt, but I know I'm the better person today and I know the things she was saying were untrue.
Within an hour of that text being sent, a dear friend- whom I have always and will always trust, helped me see the common sense side of all this. I am a felon- felonies are being committed out of my home- I now know of said felonies, therefor making me somewhat an accessory if I don't report it... I called the police.
All evidence of all the criminal activity that had taken place in her room was turned over to the police. And today I took another pile of things to the police station, I am now awaiting a call from the detective.
Saturday while we were at a funeral event, I received a text saying she was on her way from Idaho to get her things, I tried to tell her I wouldn't be there and don't want her there when we are not home... I had been instructed by the police to contact them as soon as she showed up so they could do a warrant service for her outstanding warrants... I didn't have time to argue, and honestly, I didn't care to. I called my daughter and had them put her things in the driveway. Her texts continued to try to egg me on, but I was at peace with how I had handled things. 
Shortly after we arrived home I got a series of texts claiming I had stolen from her and blah blah blah...
whatever.
I don't normally involve police, I don't normally let things slide off my shoulder. But I know in my soul that I did what was right. Not just for me, but for my family, for her victims and possible future victims. And who knows... maybe even for her as well! Chances are she will never face judgment for this, or her other crimes in Utah. She ran, as apparently she always does when the going gets tough, she has a new home- far away from me and my family. And I am perfectly fine with that. I did what was right, I did what I had to, I feel good about all of it. One day karma will catch up to her. 
Meanwhile I have my home back, I have my family, my safety, and my peace of mind.

Things happen for a reason...

Yesterday, following some doctor appointments, my daughter and went to my parents house to drop off a disk of wedding pics so they can choose and print the ones they want and always be able to pic more and have them right there. I have not been to my parents home in over 5 years- have seen them once in 5 years. havent spoken to them in 5 years. There was a bit of anxiety there! But I know I need to fix things at some point between us... they are my parents! No matter how much I dislike the things my mother does and says, bottom line is I love my parents and would hate for them to pass away with us not on good terms- I want them to know I love them. I want my girls to know that even the toughest of relationships can be mended, and I want us to be a family- especially now that I am somewhat in my younger daughters life. It was an awkward visit, but it went well. We were there maybe ten minutes- talked about the photos and how to go about getting prints, small talk about family and the neighbors in the old hood.
A little later in the day I layed down for an hour nap- I still need them once in a while! about 40 minutes later I was awakened by the front door slamming and my roommate screaming for me... but something in her voice told me this was bad. I jumped, I caught up to her as she was heading back out the door... eyes wide, tears in her eyes, and shaking terribly while listening on the phone. She just stared me blankly... she walked to the gate, turned, screamed and threw her phone as she dropped to the ground. I picked up the phone as my daughter helped her up and attempted to lead her to a chair. I introduced myself to whomever was on the other end, and I learned that her mother had passed. As my roommate puts it she was a hot mess! I wrote down all the important info she needed while she tried to pack for an immediate departure to Idaho. She is an only child, everything is in her lap now- from funeral decisions to the house payment and possible sale, insurance and any legal stuff. All she could say yesterday was "I don't want to adult right now!" I get it! I think everyone wants to go back to childhood when they lose a parent.
She was not close to her mother, they were estranged. Pretty much a fluke that she even found out her mother passed, really! She out of the blue decided to call her one relative whom she is somewhat close to- this was just hours after her mother was found. No one knew how to contact my room mate. When she first moved back to Utah- in with us, back the first of June- her original plan was to take a few days to settle then go up to visit her mother and see if they could talk a little. Then it got put off a couple weeks. Then I stopped hearing about her plans to visit... She never made it to see her mother.
After she was on the road to go do her 'adulting' and face this terrible loss, my own personal wheels got turning... what if that was my mom? What if I was the one falling apart on my good friends shoulder and having to drive to her house and to a funeral home... What a reality smack in the face!
I am truly heartbroken for my friend, not that she lost her mother so much, but that she has inside of her that she never got to say goodbye, never made amends, never had the chance to let her mom know that deep down she does love her. I can't imagine not having that kind of closure. I pray that she is able to find peace and some kind of closure with what she is going thru right now.
It told me this is the time! I have to repair the damaged relationship I have with my family! I need to reconnect, I need to tell my parents how much they mean to me- how much I love them.
I love you mom and dad!