My son started to turn when he was 12 - the usual disobedience, talking back, not helping. I am a disabled widow and alone but carried on, supporting him with school life but insisting on reasonable sleep and diet - I picked my battles.
He started walking off in the evening and heading for dangerous parts of town, swearing at me - it came to a head last year when he kept running off to friend's houses and not coming home.
He went to live with a well off family at the beginning of September after an argument. He made no contact until this January when we lost a family member. We spent three hours together, went and got some of his things, lots of hugs and promises to at least text and keep in touch to heal the rift. I discovered they had bought him all the latest gadgets, even down to bettering the version of the Christmas present I bought him after he received it - they take him out of town on weekends we had arranged to spend time together and criticise me for being disabled and poor "giving him a crap life".
He freely admits he likes not having to lift a finger and receiving these treats -but he didn't text or pop in on the way home from college, cancels at the last minute saying "we are busy" and I feel horribly alone - replaced.
I know a certain amount of distance and spreading wings is good - but the utter silence is awful - it feels as if I lost my youngest brother and my son - if I don't see him or hear from him it's as if he is completely gone. The rest of my family live miles away and I have a few friends but cannot get out often.
I didn't think I would lose him this early = or to this extent -will I ever get any part of my son back?