LIFE IN THE SPACE DAD LEFT BEHIND: WHEN A MOTHER CARRIES WHAT A FATHER PUTS DOWN
I always wanted my children to have a relationship with their father no matter what happened between us. I encouraged them to love him, respect him, and give him the benefit of the doubt. Even when things were painful, I told them not to hold anger in their hearts. But while I was doing everything I could to keep that connection alive, my ex-husband insisted I was doing the opposite. He believed I was turning the children against him, speaking negatively about him, planting seeds of hatred. He never realised that I was advocating for him long after he stopped advocating for himself. Everything changed the day my eldest daughter sat me down and said, “Mama, stop pushing us toward Papa. He clearly doesn’t want us. If you keep forcing us, we’re going to end up resenting you.” Her words broke something inside me not because they were harsh, but because they were true. From that day on, I stopped trying to guide them toward someone who wasn’t meeting them halfway. Now, when they come to me ...
