RugCasual Contributor
Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?
Background
20 years ago I left my husband and daughters.
Big vicious custody battle.
Eldest daughter wouldn't speak to me for 5 years.
Eldest and youngest daughters lived with there father.
Middle daughter lived with me.
I remarried 16 years ago, to a wonderful man with one son.
3 years ago I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
My mother has schizophrenia and now demetia and is in care.
I have worked on repairing my relationship with my daughters.
They all now speak to me and we see each other regularly.
I retired from the workfore early.
My husband recently retired.
Recent Events
In May my youngest daughter married, a quicky wedding for immigration reasons.
She is having another wedding in December for family and friends.
I wasn't invited to the May wedding and was deeply upset and became depressed.
In June I did an online mental health assessment and a six week course to help with the depression.
Current problem
We have just returned from a six week holiday in Europe.
While we were away on holidays it was my birthday.
I didn't receive any birthday messages from anyone (not from my daughters, step son, my father, my brothers, aunts, uncles, inlaws, friends, nobody).
I received a card from my husband, it was a wedding anniversary card not a birthday card.
When we arrived home from the holiday I rang my father.
He told me that my mother had been diagnosed with cancer and that my aunt, brothers and my father had decided not to tell me so we would enjoy our holiday.
I was devastated.
I rushed to see mum, to find that she was perfectly well and that my father had been mistaken.
I have no close friends to talk this all over with.
I am putting two and two together and coming up with the fact that I am a bad mother and an awful person to know.
Nobody wanted to celebrate and acknowledge my birthday.
I only wanted an email saying happy birthday.
Please someone tell me to get over myself, move on, there are worse things that happen to people I'm being selfish and self centred and navel gazing.
We've been home for 4 days now and I can't motivate myself to do anything.
I keep dwelling on the fact that nobody remembered my birthday except my husband.
I'm trying to understand why my birthday dosen't matter to anyone.
I sound very whiny.
I need a reality check from the people in this forum.