Why estrangement happens: Puzzling it out
By Sheri McGregor
Why? It’s the million-dollar question. Ask on the Internet and you’ll find a lot of theories and blame. The parents are often negatively stereotyped in myriad writings that confirm an existing bias: parents must have done something to cause the estrangement. Providing theoretical answers to why estrangement happens has become a sort of global pastime but just because we live in a blame-the-parent era doesn’t mean we’re to blame. However, trying to find answers is a natural response.
Questions have a way of taking over the brain and its thought processes. Puzzling things out is human nature, which is troubling when, so often, there is no logical answer. No wonder so many parents of estranged adult children report being distracted and getting hurt or suffering from brain fog. That’s one reason why, in Done With The Crying, I suggest parents settle on a “good enough” answer, at least for a time. That way, they can rest their mind enough to move on to a better question: What now?
Coping mindfully
We’ve all done a puzzle at some point. Puzzles are foundational among learning toys for even the youngest children. That’s because they help with visual acuity, spatial recognition, problem solving and more—plus they’re fun.
Puzzles help adults of all ages derive the same sorts of benefits, and during the pandemic lock downs, puzzles have increased in popularity. They fill time, and even in an uncertain atmosphere of fret and fear, they engage eyes and minds on something safe and even predictable.
Also, when pondering something big like why estrangement happens, we can benefit from a more relaxed mind. When not focused on the problem, our subconscious mind will work at the issue behind the scene, often in new ways and with better results. A break in struggling to understand why estrangement happens to good parents may shift toward a question that’s more within our reach. Like, “What can I do to take care of myself?”
Puzzlers know the activity keeps them present and focused on a task. That’s good for parents of estranged adult children whose minds may wander down rabbit holes of worry and emotional pain. In my books I talk about coping mindfully when estrangement happens. I’ve only recently realized that doing puzzles, brain teasers, and challenge games can be an absorbing and rewarding part of that.
Lately, I went online to purchase a couple of jigsaw puzzles and was surprised to find that there are puzzle boards with sorting trays to keep pieces contained. Some trays come with a cover so even in-progress puzzles can be safely stowed. For the dedicated puzzle builder, there are tables, preserver sheets, pushers, magnifiers. . . . Have a look at some of the accessories. You might be as surprised as I was by what you find.
Puzzles, brain teasers, and other games don’t have to be expensive. They’re staples of dollar and discount stores. Some neighbors even set up puzzle trades on social media platforms, so they can be passed along (free). You can find free game apps in the play store on your smart phone (free versions do have annoying ads.) Or, opt for free games online, completing brain teasers and puzzles on your phone, tablet, or computer. A search will locate a variety of sites. Here are a few options:
- Jigsaw Planet. Choose your challenge level by selecting the number of pieces, starting with as few as 24. It times you, too, so you can track your skill progress and see if you get faster at recognizing patterns and fitting shapes.
- Free Games.org. Brain teasers, puzzles, quizzes, speed games, word searches, matching, and mazes to test your memory, sight, and mind. Share your scores to social media or remain anonymous.
- The Jigsaw Puzzles. A puzzle of the day, desktop icon for convenience, and downloads to print and cut out paper puzzles. This site places a picture of the completed puzzle at the top right of the puzzling space so it’s easy to refer to as you work.
Why estrangement happens: Putting the pieces together
Even if you haven’t done a puzzle since childhood, you’ll remember the sense of completion you felt when those last few pieces fit into place. Answers about why estrangement happens aren’t always so neat and tidy. Parents are frequently in shock and, at least at first, point at themselves for the answer to that hideous question: Why?
In time, and with encouragement, they examine their history and recognize all the good they did. Parents frequently write to me after reading my first book on the topic, Done With The Crying. They say it helped them give themselves credit. They did their best by their children and were good, decent parents. Not toxic or deserving of disdain.
Recognizing patterns
Once you can view the estrangement with a clearer head and a calmer heart, you may want to delve into family history, culture, and genes as I have. My latest book, Beyond Done With The Crying: More Answers and Advice for Parents of Estranged Adult Childrencan help. Along with practical information and encouragement, a few sections guide readers to explore and fit together the pieces of their own lives (or even their ancestors’ lives). Familial traits and patterns may include or contribute to estrangement. As with any puzzle, fitting together our personal pieces, bits of knowledge and history, can provide a sense of completion, closure, and even peace.
Related Reading:
Why do adult children estrange? Let’s look at nature or nurture
Peace: Achievable in the chaos of estrangement?
