Received a gift today - mixed emotions
I blocked my dad about a month ago, I gave him chance after chance to treat me the same as my brothers. After he belittled my choice of degree & how I’ll be a benefit scrounger, that it wasn’t a ‘real degree’ (masters in veterinary physiotherapy) etc etc - the ‘typical’ regarding sons above daughters malarkey. Of course there’s years & years of anecdotes I could pull, but these were the key points from our last meet-up
Today, I have received a teddy bear in the mail. Despite last time we spoke I asked for an apology for the way he spoke to me & he refused. A bloody teddy bear.
I’m torn in two. On one hand effort was made & he is my father. On the other, he has compared me as subpar to my brothers my entire life - a mental torture no child wants to grow up with, as it really does stay ingrained with you.
A part of me wants to keep it, another part wants to burn it, a final part wants to send it back to his address….
Any thoughts or comments? I’m not a spiteful person, I have just got to an accepting place of cutting him off & the emotions have started all over again!
Posted Dec 7, 2025, 10:55 PM UTC