Hi, I'm new to Gransnet. I'm trying to find some kind of online or printed resource that will help me to get past the deep dislike (bordering on hatred) I feel for my ex-husband.
Some background. My daughter was 3 when I met my ex-husband, and when she was 5 we had our son. My ex went on to favouritise the boy quite noticeably, which caused a lot of problems. When my daughter was 18 her biological father died (he was an alcoholic and had chosen not to see her any more when she was 4 - we never knew why). At his funeral we discovered he had a younger child he had chosen to help to parent, a little girl of 7. My daughter went a bit off the rails for a while (understandably). She's just turning 28 now, and is very different. She has a lovely partner and 2 gorgeous boys aged 2.5 years and 8 weeks. She's very happy and much more confident. I do all I can to help out. I suppose we have a close relationship, she's not an emotionally open kind of person, but she knows I'm there and I see them every week.
I left my ex-husband when our son turned 18 (my ex and our son stayed in the family home) as I'd wanted to leave for years. I have no regrets at all, honestly never missed him for a single moment, though I missed my son and my house (and the cat). I've had nothing from my ex financially at all, even though he earns twice what I earn. However, he has supported our son through university (he graduates this month). My ex quickly met someone new and they were married over a year ago. She's very nice and both my kids get on well with her, which I know is a good thing.
3 years ago I met my now-fiance, and we get married this October. We struggle financially as he's been looking for work and more recently has been a student (about to go to University). But we're incredibly happy together, far happier than I ever was with my ex. I think he seems much happier with his new wife than he was with me, too.
The problem is that I hate seeing photos of my ex and his wife with my grandsons. I hate it when they post gushy stuff about the boys on Facebook. I want to comment that it's a shame he was such a terrible step-father, now he's being such a doting granddad (is he buying her favour? He just paid for my daughter's partner's driving theory test!))! I loathe seeing his wife holding my daughter's children. They posted a photo of themselves with the 2 boys recently and a friend of hers commented that they looked so proud. I was fuming - what reason would she have to be proud of the birth of a baby to her husband's adult step-daughter?!
I know this isn't reasonable or rational!
I know I shouldn't be so bothered by things I see on Facebook!
I know I should be glad my ex makes the effort and spends the money I can't afford to spend on the boys.
I know I should be happy that my daughter gets on with his wife and that she is a nice person!
I want to move beyond this stupid bitterness but I'm not sure how.
Has anyone else dealt with this kind of thing and successfully moved on?
Does anyone know of any books or online resources I might find helpful?
Thanks in anticipation! x