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Estrangement

Letter to my Estranged Child

(212 Posts)
OnwardandUpward Fri 03-Dec-21 12:10:24

Dear Child,

I hope you're happy with your choice to manipulate, coerce and then estrange when you failed to get your own way. If not, what did you expect to happen?

Remember, all choices have consequences. Relationships are reciprocal (*you put nothing in, you get nothing back*)

As a child you may remember our motto was to celebrate the good in you, to "punish the child, not the behaviour". But you are an adult now, who is unable to see anything positive in me or US.

In time perhaps you will too be able to celebrate the good and realise that no one is perfect. After all, you will have plenty of time to reflect this Christmas after estranging your entire family.

How do you suppose you are going to explain this to your own kids one day, why they had no family to love them and celebrate Christmas with them?

You are not the "reason for the season". So we will celebrate Christmas without you, with those who choose us. I wish you joy, I wish you peace, I wish you love. The one thing I will not do is reward your atrocious behaviour by chasing you down or actually trying to contact you.

May the New Year bring you insight and peace, love and harmony.

Your ever loving Mother.

OnwardandUpward Mon 03-Jan-22 01:17:04

I'm so sorry for your pain Besidemyself You're right, if there is a restraining order in place it would be unwise to try to breach it. I would probably say it's a good idea to have counselling to try and reach acceptance, to mourn the loss and to try to make a life for yourself that you are happy with, to hope and pray for the future that she forgives and realises how much you love her.
As someone wise here said to me "Let them be the icing on the cake and not the cake"

User7777 I'm glad you have the Cardio app in the New Year! Your poor heart has really taken a battering with all this stress and heartbreak. I hope you will keep reaching out to support services and anyone who can help. Take care of you, too flowers and don't be ashamed to reach out for help. However much you love a child, you need to love yourself, too.

VioletSky Sat 01-Jan-22 17:02:30

Besidemyself what happened with your other child to have your daughter removed? Are you still in intact with him?

We might be able to advise you better with a bit more info or you ould start a new thread so it reaches more people

Smileless2012 Sat 01-Jan-22 15:58:15

Besidemyselfflowersthere is nothing you can do but wait. Wait for her to mature and then be able to see that the entire heartbreaking situation was taken out of your hands, and there was nothing you could do.

We have been estranged from our youngest son and only GC for 9 years now so I don't say this lightly. Stop contacting her in anyway. Now there is a retraining order against you, you need to be very careful.

Give her time and space. She may one day realise that what happened was not your fault and then be ready to communicate with you again and listen to what you've been trying to explain.

I hope your cardiology appointment goes well User7777
Make sure that you "take care of you" tooflowers

User7777 Sat 01-Jan-22 15:41:10

Beside myself... I understand... I have been heartbroken for so long... my heart is now truly broken and sick from the stress I have been under. Cardiology appt in new year. My AC has no filter or empathy for anyone else. No insight into their behaviour and all is other peoples fault.. they have no friends now, drove them all away. I still love them ,same as the day I first saw them 36 years ago, but spending any time with them is hard. My health is starting to fail, so I may not have many opportunities to spend with them. Sometimes we only appreciate someone when they have passed. Take care of you

Besidemyself Sat 01-Jan-22 00:04:58

Hi, I’m new here… My daughter is 19 1/2 and made the decision not to see or talk to me about a year and a half ago. In that time I have sent her text messages almost on a daily basis to ask for forgiveness and to reconcile with her to no avail. I’ve dropped off gifts for her birthday and at Christmas. This Christmas I mailed them to her and in return I got a restraining order served to me. I know she is angry and bitter because of trouble that her older brother got into caused child services to take her away from our home. I don’t do drugs, drink or have ever abused my children. In fact it’s just the opposite I was always there for them, PTA mom, Soccer mom (coach), Awana Leader, you name it! I was always there then all of the sudden I wasn’t there for her. She was 15 and they made it impossible for me as a single mom to get her back. She’s only 19 and I feel like I will never see her again. I understand her pain and don’t blame her for her decision. And I’m not angry, I’m heart broken. ? Don’t know how to deal with this. My hands are tied.

OnwardandUpward Thu 23-Dec-21 09:40:05

User7777 so you've moved because of EAC before? shock If you've done that and they have found you again each time maybe moving is not the answer, but an injunction? As you say, why should you have to keep moving? You love your home and garden, but its understandable that you feel the urge to disappear.

They are a user, for sure, sadly. I suppose that's why you chose that user name. You don't seem depressed at all, but anyone in your situation would feel beaten down with it, especially as it's been going on so long.

I think you have to accept, they won't change. They will continue to use you as long as you're prepared to let them. As my old therapist said "the only person you can change is yourself". I hope you have lots of support in place.

When someone is a narcissist they use you for "supply" and what you can do for them. I lived with one for years. It's a good idea to read lots on the subject and resist any "hoovering" attempts. flowers

User7777 Wed 22-Dec-21 20:45:04

Thank you Allsorts. Mentally unwell AC has been around 20 years now with their rhetoric. I am not depressed, I have always been able to cope for many years, but my health is poor now and it's getting weary. Esp as there is nothing wrong with them. Everyone else is to blame. I have someone coming to see me after Xmas, with a view to moving. I find it galling that I always have to move when AC starts their nonsense.. I like my home and garden. Its all I have now.... I get estrangement then a cosying up to me for their gain. Then the threats. I think I have reached telephone contact only, then I can put phone down if vicious words start. Goodnight all

VioletSky Tue 21-Dec-21 19:00:28

Thank you Allsorts

OnwardandUpward Tue 21-Dec-21 18:53:18

I'm amazed this post I made when feeling bitter has helped anyone, but glad too. flowers

In conclusion : I did not send any communication, only a gift for my GC. The Christmas gift was signed for and is with my EAC. No idea if the GC will get it when they find out who it's from, but that's their choice. I've done my bit for the year. The ball is in their court now and I can get on with Christmas. (Talking of which, I need to be online less and actually do some wrapping for those I will be spending Christmas with! wink

Allsorts Tue 21-Dec-21 18:49:09

I’m so glad the forum helps you to Violet. .

VioletSky Tue 21-Dec-21 17:04:08

Allsorts I was replying to OnwardandUoward because I misread and thought her son was lying in his support groups. I've made no comment about this one.

Allsorts Tue 21-Dec-21 17:00:45

Where is Smileless? I hope she is ok, Christmas is very hard for all up of us however together we seem.

Violet I can assure you that everyone on here has been supportive. It is very hard coping without your child however old they are and of course the grandchildren who have no say whom they see, so we all go through and understand how each other feels.
User, a mentally unwell adult child will bring you down, I am so pleased you now have peace from him. Whatever you say he will argue the opposite, with weird theories, so wearing, even worse when they start shouting and get violent, it’s better to let them go. You know now to ring the police.

OnwardandUpward Tue 21-Dec-21 12:06:27

So true Allsorts

Even though I created this post thinking I might contact my child, I will not- because of some facts I have discovered about their "activities". I actually think it unwise, but cannot say more on a public forum.

I am very glad that User7777 felt able to comment and was able to find support, so something good has come out of my post. No one should have to live in fear, and most certainly not from the child they have loved and nurtured.

The gift I have send my GC is with the courier now. Only time will tell if it is accepted. I will never know if it is given to my GC and even if it is, it won't be given in my name. The new year is a new start and now I know what I know, I cannot contact them again. I can only hope something shifts in my GC's favor.

Sending love to all who need it, at this delicate time of year.

Allsorts Tue 21-Dec-21 04:14:06

Thank goodness you feel safe now User. No one should live in fear, especially from their child.

OnwardandUpward Tue 21-Dec-21 00:30:32

I am so glad you've got that support User7777 Yes, its so sad, but your child is still in there. Their mental health is responsible as well as possibly bad choices and or addictions? Sleep well flowers

User7777 Mon 20-Dec-21 22:58:11

Thank you. Onwards and upwards.. yes, I have an emergency number and a thing to press. It beggars belief that AC think they can get away with this behaviour. I wouldn't tell neighbours as all elderly and dont wish to worry them unnecessarily. I feel supported now and able to go to sleep. Goodnight.x

OnwardandUpward Mon 20-Dec-21 21:15:31

Oops I pressed too soon. I repeated myself there a bit!

No worries Violetsky

OnwardandUpward Mon 20-Dec-21 21:14:36

Well done User 7777 for contacting the landlord! I think it might be good if you could move, just so you have extra peace of mind that AC cannot carry out their threat. I am so sorry that you had a threat of arson sad That's just so awful and your AC is probably not getting the right MH support from the MH services or perhaps not taking their medication?

It's probably not over yet, you're right- but you have done the right thing in asking for help. No one should have to live like that. I am so glad it's on record and Ac will have time in a MH unit if they break the law. In your shoes, I probably would be asking SS to help me move for a new start.

I think although it might be embarrassing, that it may be worth notifying your neighbours so they can be on guard if they see your AC anywhere near the building and call the police too, knowing that the landlord has banned them.

Allsorts Mon 20-Dec-21 18:03:47

Well done User, whatever way you look at it, you have peace at last, should you be bothered, he will have time in a mental health unit, it is on record now, perhaps there he will get the help he needs. With most Mh issues, family cannot sort it without putting themselves in a very vulnerable position,

VioletSky Mon 20-Dec-21 18:02:29

User7777 could they fit you an emergency alarm?

VioletSky Mon 20-Dec-21 18:01:28

Ah sorry, I misread Onwardand Upward

User7777 Mon 20-Dec-21 17:55:55

Hello. My news is... the support people contacted my landlords. It was a threat of arson, however, I dress it up. The landlord has banned AC from visiting my property as other tenants could be in danger from a fire threat. AC not best pleased when I told them. Ac was planning a visit this evening, until I mentioned police would be called and I was told they could have 72 hours in a mental health unit, as they have dealings with them before. I had a lot of verbal expletives, then the phone went down. Also had ss visitors today. All should be quiet for a while. But sadly, I dont think it's over yet

OnwardandUpward Mon 20-Dec-21 16:11:28

Just to clarify: when I wrote about lies, I was referring to the lie which User7777 said her eldest child had spoken about her.

I heard a saying once "never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence" which doesn't really fit. However, I think you could say that two people could believe completely different things and each think they were right and telling the truth completely- but each would be telling their truth, from their perspective, as they saw it and not be thinking they did anything wrong.

Perception is literally our reality. I remember when my son started having delusions and a relative said to me "tell him the truth" but I said, "what he believes IS his reality." I knew I could not compete with the voices sad

Chewbacca Mon 20-Dec-21 14:10:24

What do you mean by that VS?

VioletSky Mon 20-Dec-21 13:22:12

OnwardandUpward it makes me so uncomfortable knowing people join online support forums and then lie to get attention. If real genuine people lose out and don't get the support they need it's awful.

I can only wonder if it is some sort of mental illness like those who fake physical illness