Woman Leaves Mom In Tears Due To Her Unyielding Resentment Towards Her Younger Siblings

"I refuse to be a spectator as they live out my childhood dream."

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• August 9, 2023

Resentment is a tricky emotion that creeps in when we feel cheated out of what we believe we deserve. It can often stick around and make happy moments feel less joyful.

Unfortunately, our narrator (Original Poster) found herself battling with these strong feelings. Apparently, she was raised by a devoted single mother, with her dad nowhere in sight for the most part of her childhood.

OP explained that her dad was a soldier stationed far away in Europe; hence she never got to experience the ideal happy family dynamic.

In an unexpected twist of events, she and her mother woke up to the most unexpected of surprises—it was her dad! He had moved back to the city, and in no time, her parents rekindled their romance.

OP was overjoyed that her loving parents had finally found their way back into each other's arms. Shortly after, the love birds decided to tie the knot, and in a few years, they welcomed two new kids to the family.

As OP watched her younger siblings grow, she began to get a clearer picture of the life she could have had if her parents had never broken up.

This stung, as she felt cheated out of the perfect childhood. Why did her younger siblings get to have this beautiful life, and she didn’t? The thought of this made OP grow distant, and her college breaks home grew shorter over time.

As OP's wedding approaches, her mother excitedly proposes their first-ever family trip. OP firmly declines, bluntly stating she isn't up for watching her siblings enjoy the childhood she always longed for.

This revelation has brought tears to her mother's eyes, and as a result, OP feels an overwhelming sense of remorse.

She questions herself: Do these feelings make her an awful person? Should she bottle up her emotions and risk being miserable on this "dream" family trip?

Scroll down to find out the full details of this story.

Let's dig into the details

A little background

OP has made it clear to her mom that she doesn't want to be anywhere near her younger siblings

Important edits

Here's what the Reddit community had to say about this story:

"NTA...You don't owe your parents or siblings anything."

"NTA...This is your opportunity to talk to both of your parents about your feelings and resentment."

"Your mom is obviously entitled to have a relationship and a family, but you are entitled to these feelings."

"NTA...Ask your parents to at least once show up for you as your parents."

"YTA...Life is not fair and at some level you need to accept that, and find some sort of happy medium."

"Your parents can't force you to be something you aren't or feel something that you don't."

The majority of the Reddit community has acknowledged the validity of OP's emotions. They suggest using the vacation as an opportunity to have a difficult yet liberating heart-to-heart conversation with her parents about how she feels.

Imagine shedding an old coat that's been dragging you down—that's what letting go of resentment feels like. The conversation could be perceived as the first step towards paving the way for a happier and more harmonious family life.

What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments.

Jesse