Finally got an email in my inbox this morning from NM. Instead of a written email, it was an email forward titled, "Fwd: Card for You/ Reply Requested". When I read that I was like, "WTF is this?". I opened it and inside was a picture of a postcard type card with a cartoon puppy on it that reads:
"No matter where I am or what I am doing, when YOU come to mind, it shows on my face!"
Beneath that, it reads:
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
Now, you have a nice day.
God
God has seen you struggling, God says it's over. A blessing is coming our way. If you believe in God, please send to ten people (including me) please don't ignore this.
YOU HAVE 20 MINUTES TO TELL 10 FRIENDS/FAMILY (INCLUDING ME)
"No matter where I am or what I am doing, when YOU come to mind, it shows on my face!"
Beneath that, it reads:
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
Now, you have a nice day.
God
God has seen you struggling, God says it's over. A blessing is coming our way. If you believe in God, please send to ten people (including me) please don't ignore this.
YOU HAVE 20 MINUTES TO TELL 10 FRIENDS/FAMILY (INCLUDING ME)
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this is a game to find out if I'll respond or not. Quite honestly, I am beyond sick of games at this point in my life and will not be responding unless and until she addresses the last email I sent her.
Her response was a chain letter? Really? I tend to delete anything that requires me to forward it. Keep fighting for you.
ReplyDeleteI read Judy's response. It's basically exactly what I was thinking.
ReplyDeleteReally NM? A chain letter? That may be slightly worse than a form letter. How bizarre. And annoying. And immature. And ridiculous. (Etc etc).
Another thought...it's like, "How ridiculous can I be and still get her to respond?"
ReplyDeleteIt's just a weak, manipulative way of trying to get you to engage.
The chain letter actually doesn't surprise me at all ... my NMIL has sent me a few of these usually with the disclaimer of 'I never forward things on but ...'
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think it partly superstition (she has a compulsion to forward it on because in my experience, Narcs are really superstitious) and partly because they don't understand social boundaries/norms etc so they rely on cards/forwards of emails to express it for them. I also think there is some element in here of her believing that she is showing you 'grace'. That despite what you are 'doing to her', she is still wanting good things for you.
In your case, I also think she is using her superstition (because if she is superstitious, clearly you are too) to try and back you into a corner where you have to reply - the "INCLUDING ME" part is her way of trying to scare you into responding.
I think their superstition plays out in the form of religion quite often or some other ritualistic way of existence. While I don't believe that religion is superstitious, the way Narcs exist within it, is often superstitious.
I prefer not to be threatened in my emails. Send it or else.... I delete all threats. :) Then I wonder who was talking to God and how do they know what He is thinking? Since when does God stop having a struggle continue accept when I am dead? Why is it the blessings are being dictated by a card? I woke up this morning seeing the sunrise and I know I have already been blessed without you needing to send it. I am religious but this type of email reeeaaaalllllyyyy annoys me. Don't threaten me, don't decide for me when I get my blessings and mostly don't tell me that you know what God is thinking. Solved with the 3 Ds...Delete, delete, delete.
ReplyDeleteGirl from the Ville - I think you present a really compelling argument. I find it interesting (and sort of revolting) to think that the NM sent a chain email because she thinks it's appropriate...since she knows no boundaries. The sad thing is that she may think this is a really good thing to do.
ReplyDeleteDELETE!
ReplyDeletehuh the superstition thing...that's funny cuz my mom would be just most randomly superstitious, you know, i didn't think she was until suddenly she would say these random superstitious things, like..how her dream would MEAN something, and mean as in PREDICT something, like money or something. and then when i tried to argue with her, she was like NO, these dreams definitely DO mean something and like, my dreams about my dad attacking me meant nothing and were promptly discarded by my mom as, "oh those, those are just nothing dreams." because they didn't hold any superstitious value. then she would also say weird things about like, on some inane thing like the offer falling through on our house, she'd be all, i knew it, these things just kind of happen that way, this house wasn't MEANT to be sold. it's like seriously...when did my mom start losing it?
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