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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can anyone help me forgive and not hold a grudge?

126 replies

RainbowBriteUk · 24/10/2021 11:04

As a child we didn't have much money. Food wasn't scarce exactly but it wasn't plentiful neither. I knew not to ask for things and settled on cheap clothes. This resulted in name calling at school but it was what it was. Christmas and birthday presents were second hand or cheap.

About 15 years back my mum met a man online. He lived abroad and they met and married and he came to live here. For the first number of years I lived with them. Money was very tight but he was sending hundreds of pounds a week back to his family. As money was tight, my mum sold all my childhood belongings and many of her own possessions. She also sent some of my belongings over to his family. She asked before doing this but turned aggressive when I said no so the easiest thing was to let them go.

Despite money being tight, her husband refused to eat non-branded food which I hugely resented as it cost a fortune. Moreso, my mum and he spent a lot on buying presents for his family and flights home for him where also expensive during this frugal time.

I moved out when the resentment was too much but I still feel anger that during that time he didn't care that despite sending money over and his food choices being expensive because he refused to eat nothing that wasn't a brand name, my possessions were sold. He's still a twat in other ways and I feel huge resentment to him. I'm friendly to him and never let my feelings show but he ignores me (literally!). How do I move on with this grudge?

OP posts:
Roomforanotherraspberry · 24/10/2021 12:29

Don’t think of it as a grudge, think of it as a healthy boundary!

Also I think your mum is part of the problem. I understand it’s difficult as we are conditioned to believe our parents love us, and it’s hard to accept that we might have been abused, and that we are told by society that they are our parent and deserve our forgiveness, and that family means everything etc. what has she done to deserve your love and respect. She wouldn’t give you those things, but yet she gives this man everything. She hasn’t changed and won’t change, she won’t admit her mistakes, and even if she does, her behaviour hasn’t changed.

I know it’s hard to accept our parents haven’t treated us as they should, and we love them all the same, but as others said I think you would benefit from counseling to see the unhealthy relationship with your mum, and to see you are not holding a grudge at all, but setting boundaries and not letting yourself be treated like that.

KrispyKale · 24/10/2021 12:30

And however much I might like my adult children to pass on items to others, if they said no I'd be disappointed but no more.

DowntonCrabby · 24/10/2021 12:30

I don’t think you have to just get past it but you’d definitely benefit from counselling.

You were treated awfully, your mum put a man above her child, that is utterly disgraceful.

HikingforScenery · 24/10/2021 12:30

Sorry just saw that you paid £200.

Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:33

@DowntonCrabby

I don’t think you have to just get past it but you’d definitely benefit from counselling.

You were treated awfully, your mum put a man above her child, that is utterly disgraceful.

I also thought this But the man didn’t come in to the mother’s life until the op was in her early twenties

Op , you have the impression in your op that this all happened when you were a child

honeylulu · 24/10/2021 12:33

I think some posters are missing the point by saying that the stepfather wasn't around until adulthood. The grudge has arisen from the contrast. When OP was little she went without because there wasn't much money and her mum prioritised cigarettes Then when she was older and mum got a man who wanted money, her mum somehow found it for him. So she would find a way for her husband to have his treats, but had been willing for her small child to go without. That's fucked up and must have been a horrible realisation for OP as an adult - that it wasn't that her mum "couldn't" have done better for her child but rather that she chose not to.

KrispyKale · 24/10/2021 12:35

I do recognise the prioritising cigarette scenario too😣. The only thing I'll say is nicotine is very addictive.🤷

Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:36

Her mother found the money
Because her adult child was earning money and giving her (very small!) board of £200 a month.

It’s not great to be spending that on her new man. But it was her prerogative

And her adult daughter was able to work part time and live at home for £200 a month

smoko · 24/10/2021 12:37

Are you sure it’s not your mother you’re actually angry at here? She is the one who chose this guy, thrust him into your life & sold your possessions & became angry if you tried to object, even though she apparently asked you. She jumps to her man’s defence & throws her daughter’s feelings aside

Why are you angry at him when her decisions created this whole situation?

What is it she feels guilty for? Or does she allude to feelings of guilt but not actually apologising for anything ?

RainbowBriteUk · 24/10/2021 12:38

Having to go without all my life and then this man comes along and gets anything he wants really hurt my feelings.

OP posts:
Vivi0 · 24/10/2021 12:38

@honeylulu

I think some posters are missing the point by saying that the stepfather wasn't around until adulthood. The grudge has arisen from the contrast. When OP was little she went without because there wasn't much money and her mum prioritised cigarettes Then when she was older and mum got a man who wanted money, her mum somehow found it for him. So she would find a way for her husband to have his treats, but had been willing for her small child to go without. That's fucked up and must have been a horrible realisation for OP as an adult - that it wasn't that her mum "couldn't" have done better for her child but rather that she chose not to.
No, I think everyone who has commented gets this.

I can see posters pressing the point to try and help the OP to understand that her anger and resentment is misplaced.

Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:40

@RainbowBriteUk

Having to go without all my life and then this man comes along and gets anything he wants really hurt my feelings.
Yes I can see that

But why are you blaming him?

Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:41

You bother deprived you as a child. Not him.

And yet when he comes on the scene, she magics up money.

Not. His. Fault.

Demanding twat? Yes.

Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:41

Mother

Vivi0 · 24/10/2021 12:42

@RainbowBriteUk

Having to go without all my life and then this man comes along and gets anything he wants really hurt my feelings.
There is nothing special or remarkable about him though. It would likely have been any man. He is not the problem.
HHSchultz · 24/10/2021 12:43

@Oftenithinkaboutit

So why are you blaming him?

I’m really confused.

You had a deprived childhood.
You go a job.
Your mother used the £200 a month you gave for board to cut him things.

I really can’t see a problem

Really?
RainbowBriteUk · 24/10/2021 12:45

@Oftenithinkaboutit

You bother deprived you as a child. Not him.

And yet when he comes on the scene, she magics up money.

Not. His. Fault.

Demanding twat? Yes.

Yet I still think he's an utter cunt. He could've said to my mum that he would wait til finances are better to fly home/have nice food etc. Instead we had to sell our possessions to fund his twattish lifestyle.
OP posts:
Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:46

@HHSchultz

The op had a very deprived childhood when he wasn’t on the scene.

He comes in to her mother’s life when the op is as adult and her mother starts spending mother that she didn’t spend on the OP when she was a child.

He’s a demanding twat. But there is only one person to blame. The mother

Alwayswantedasmegf · 24/10/2021 12:47

How old was you when you finally left home OP.

Gosh loud sex and you were 20s I think your mother is taking the piss sorry to be blunt OP. I could not go away with either of them.

Your mum needs a wake up call when she's unwell let her partner look after her. Perhaps the penny will drop.

HHSchultz · 24/10/2021 12:47

OP, your "mother", is a selfish person. Do yourself a favour and get some help to see how much of a fucked up childhood she gave you.

Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:47

* Yet I still think he's an utter cunt. He could've said to my mum that he would wait til finances are better to fly home/have nice food etc. Instead we had to sell our possessions to fund his twattish lifestyle.*

And your mother should have said

No fucking way are we selling our possessions for you

But she didn’t. She agreed.

He owed you nothing
She owed you everything

RainbowBriteUk · 24/10/2021 12:48

Plus paying £200 a month to go home to be ignored (neither of them spoke to me when I got in from work). If I did speak, he used to butt in to talk about something completely different and only to my mum.

OP posts:
Oftenithinkaboutit · 24/10/2021 12:49

@RainbowBriteUk

Plus paying £200 a month to go home to be ignored (neither of them spoke to me when I got in from work). If I did speak, he used to butt in to talk about something completely different and only to my mum.
And your mother?
Cocomarine · 24/10/2021 12:49

So given this probably wasn’t the way you expected this thread to go @RainbowBriteUk how are you feeling about no-one pressing you to forgive your mother, and everyone saying that he’s just noise?

RainbowBriteUk · 24/10/2021 12:49

and she allowed it to happen.

OP posts: