What will "they" think??!

I was raised in a home where "guilt" was often used as a motivator. You better do this  and act appropriately, after all what will "they" think. Don't be late for church or what will "they" think. I never doubted my mother's love for me but I knew early on that she had had a rough childhood herself and suffered with low self worth. She sacrificed greatly for us children raising 6 of us as a young widow. I will always be grateful for her sacrifices because in those sacrifices, I knew she loved me. But my mom was neither affectionate or filled with words of encouragement. My mom compared us to others constantly and we never measured up, not to the rich people, the smart people, or the people that had it "together" as she called it. Mom didn't want me to play with the rich children or go to their homes for fear that they would want to come to our house and see that we did not have as "much". So I learned at an early age that I didn't quite match up to the "theys" of the world, for "they" were ALWAYS better than myself. Well, I say now, who the heck are "they" and why am I trying to please them still at 57 years of age? The other day while thinking about writing this blog and sharing my journey with you I suddenly started wondering about "they" and how I might need to word things so as not to offend "they". I have turned a corner and I am done with that, this is my journey and these are my honest and sometimes heart wrenching feelings. I can only help myself by being honest and not hiding, this is a journey of healing. My passion is to help others  who recognize themselves within my journey.