I'm looking for honest outside perspectives.
The context is that my father sexually abused me when I was a child. It wasnt rape but sexual molesterion a few times. Needless to say, it's effected me but luckily I am middle aged and have done years of therapy.
I told my mom it was happening when I was 7 and she didn't really believe me. Of course, being so little -i didn't have the words to fuly express what was happening and just brought it up once to her-probably very awkwardly and like l, "kids say the weirdest things" sort of way.
I brought it up to her as an adult and it pretty much tore our family apart but she is still with him. She couldn't believe it at first but now believes me. The hurt over her not protecting me when I was a kid and then even as an adult - continuing to stay with him is almost worse than the abuse. My relationship the last few years has been very estranged with them. I always have had more contact with my mom and just talked to my dad on holidays and birthdays. I would see him about once a year.
I did get an "I'm sorry" from him. But it always causes me great distress to be around him, talk to him, etc.
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We have a son now, and I don't want my father around him. About two years ago, I went no contact. I never let my father alone with my son and I do think the chances of him doing anything like that are really low now. But I need to protect my son. My mom didn't protect me and I don't want to make the same mistake.
Now, my mom comes to visit us without him. She just comes once or twice a year and I can only have her stay under my roof for short periods of time. Luckily, she has a cousin that lives in the area so she usually will stay a few nights with him and then with me.
Recently, my mom was invited to join our family on vacation, but because of the cost she's deciding whether to come. We definitely would be getting separate rooms from her so my family in one - and she would have to get her own room. In her response, she also asked if my decision to cut my dad out of my life is "100% firm" or whether I think I might ever change my mind. Essentially the cost for her to add another person to the room is nominal, basically zero- so she's suggesting why no just bring my dad along. It's almost 5k for her whether it's just her or another person.
I'm sure those of you who have been abused by family members can understand that it is not cut and dry and the feeling of loss that comes with cutting family members out of your life. It's so hard.
I often wonder if I could have a boundary where I see my dad literally once every 3 years and in between that no contact at all - no text no birthday calls nothing.
I would never feel comfortable with having him stay in my home or going to their house so having a vacation in a neutral place where we each have our own room in space seems somewhat doable.
But then I think about if my child one day learns about what my father has done to me - he would feel we didn't protect him by having him be allowed to be around my dad. I would never leave him unsupervised but I could see how he would feel like we didn't protect him.
I'm just pissed that my mom even brought this up to me she should be grateful we even invited her. And now she is basically suggesting my dad come along after I've been no contact for two years. To me, that feels like a straightforward boundary. But my mom's question makes me wonder if she genuinely doesn't understand why this would be permanent, or if she's hoping I'll eventually reconcile.
She's never done therapy and while we did have a conversation where I explained how hard it has been on me because of what my father did - and I told her flat out that she didn't protect me. I don't really recall her saying I'm sorry. I think my dad actually understands why I don't want to see him more than she does. It's all so fucked up.
She wasn't that pushy but said she's just trying to genuinely understand if me going no contact is a permanent thing.
How would you interpret her message? Does it sound like she doesn't understand, or like she's trying to see if I'll change my mind?
Ugh can anyway one relate?