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Something’s not right

Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

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.

4 replies

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In response to: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

Re: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

@Rug Hi Rug and welcome to the forums. I have a saying or two actually which I tell my children and myself alot. Firstly that you cannot please everyone and secondly (more importantly) not everyone can or will like you and that is ok because you wont necessarily like everyone either.

I stand by those sayings as they work in family situations too. I am lucky as I have a small family and we all basically get along but if I come across someone in my life who doesn't like me well so be it I am not going to have a nervous breakdown over it.

Yes it would have been nice of them to send you an email to wish you happy birthday but don't worry about it just keep being pleasant send them cards etc on their birthdays and they may turn around their behaviour then again they may not. At least you are trying and doing what feels right to you.

Btw happy belated birthday!!!!! @Shaz51 (I am tagging Shaz51 because she is the keeper of the birthday threads!). Again don't don't worry about it just enjoy your memories of your recent European trip and your funny husband who mistook your birthday for you wedding anniversary

In response to: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

Re: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

@Rug I feel for you, I don’t get acknowledged on my birthday either. Or Xmas, Easter, anniversaries or any other special event, even though I acknowledge everyone else on their special days.

Once, many years ago my husband gave me an anniversary card for

mothers day, he hadn’t even taken the time to actually read the card let alone put any thought into it.

Still, I’ll wish you a Happy Birthday, you’re not a bad mother/person, you’re just not valued enough

In response to: Re: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

Re: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

Thank you for your reply and your birthday wishes. I'm sure I will snap out of this soon, I'm just feeling very sorry for myself. I keep a diary with everyones birthday and make sure I send them birthday wishes on the day. I was just surprised and disappointed that nobody remembered.

Thank you again for your reply.

In response to: Re: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

Re: Is this proof that I am a bad mother/person?

Thank you so much for your reply. I'm sorry that you have experienced the same thing, it's an awful feeling. It's made me question what sort of a person I really am.

I'm sure our families aren't mean and would be embarassed to find out that they forgot our birthdays. However, at the moment it hurts.

Thank you again for your kind thoughts.

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