Thanks for sharing. I had the same kind of experience with my dad. A parent’s rejection is very painful indeed. They deny who you are at a basic fundamental level and then refuse any contact with you. How any parent can do this to their child is beyond me. It took me a long time to figure out that it wasn’t my own inherent “badness” as person which caused this rejection. The point to remember is that he/she is the parent and you are the child. It’s their responsibility to forge the relationship. If they do not, it’s not the child’s fault. Of course, rejection as an adult is felt differently than rejection as a child, but it’s certainly as painful. It’s helpful to recognize intellectually that a parent who rejects their child is doing it because of who they are and not who the child is. They are the ones who are petty, unenlightened, unloving, judgmental, and immature. From what I’ve read in your blog you sound like an amazing parent, *in spite of* the example you were shown by your own parent. I highlighted *in spite of* because some parents really do a poor job of teaching their children about love and compassion. Yet, these same children often grow up to be beautiful, kind, loving people. Go figure. Just goes to show you how, in many cases, the child can and does succeed despite their parent’s rejection. And to that, I would give those parents “the finger” and a big “HA!, we did it without you anyway!” ~SS

I need quiet time now.