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Father's Day

Started by gettingoldandcranky, June 19, 2017, 03:57:25 AM

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gettingoldandcranky

The day passed by with no call from our eldest son.  i know he has his family and his life is busy.  but he doesn't think that every day when his dad comes home from work he asks if i've heard from his son.  every single day.
we get a call when they need help.  we call - no call back.  we email - no response.   each day is hard, but the holidays are hardest.
son says he loves us.  i see my husbands pain and i sympathize.
so very sad.

luise.volta

How sad, G. Most of us here know what that feels like. We grew up in another era...parents weren't a means to an end, they mattered.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

daniel

Quote from: luise.volta on June 19, 2017, 09:11:41 AM
How sad, G. Most of us here know what that feels like. We grew up in another era...parents weren't a means to an end, they mattered.

This.

malfoyfan

Hi,
I'm new to this site but reading through the older posts gives me comfort and hope that someday I will get better at coping with the problems I'm currently having with my son and DIL.

Regarding Father's Day, and other holidays/birthdays, my DH and I (in our 60s) have often remarked on how we always made sure our parents got cards, gifts, a dinner or lunch if possible, on special days.  If we weren't able to be with them, a phone call plus sending a card/gift.  The people in our son's generation just don't seem to value their parents in the same way.  Although we thought we raised our son to be thoughtful, he isn't, and his wife used to pick up the slack, but she's currently angry with us over some issues with her FOO and so leaves it up to him. 

I often think about why the younger generation doesn't view their parents as important the way we did.  I've heard a number of explanations for it, but none of them quite hit it for me.  It's sad.

Anyway, I'm glad to be here among ladies who have been through what DH and I are coping with and I hope to gain some wisdom from you all.

luise.volta

Welcome, M. We ask all new members to go to our HomePage and under Read Me First, to read the posts placed there for you. Please pay special attention to the Forum Agreement to be sure WWU is a fit, we are a monitored Website.

You are facing what has brought many of us here. Trying to understand it can be a tough assignment and trying to live with it even harder. We are here to support each other through the maze of feelings and attempted solutions that come with the issues experienced. Thank you for joining us, reading some of our posts and contributing. Hugs to you from all of us.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

Pen

M, welcome to the site.

I have a old note from my DD pinned to my fridge - "I love my Mom!" with a big heart drawn. It reminds me that once upon a time I was "worthy." Still am! And so are you and DH!
Respect ... is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.
-- Annie Gottlieb

malfoyfan

Hi Pen, yes, I know what you mean.  I keep saying to DH that I miss our son, but what I mean is I miss him when he was about 12 and he still looked up to us and cared about us.  Now...it's hard to say what he feels because he is influenced by his wife.  Very difficult!  Never expected to go through this, but glad there are others to share it with.

kate123

Remember the saying " A son is yours till he takes a wife, a daughter is your for the rest of your life". Seems to be true for many, and it is an old saying so I suppose this has always been a problem in families. Never understood why women are so competitive, and when they fight the relationship ends, while men can fight and remain buddies.
While the saying is not so true with me, my daughter is estranged. My relationship with my son, though not estranged, is not great and I do feel it has to do with my DIL. I give up trying to rationalize any of it and just live my life with the freedom they have given me.

luise.volta

July 16, 2017, 08:51:04 AM #8 Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 09:27:06 AM by luise.volta
Yes, K., it seems like where we take back our power is when we choose to move past our very simple, garden-variety expectations and turn toward having a good life anyhow. For those of us with sons only, like me, it's probably the luck of the draw. My youngest is our trusty Webmaster and there would be no WWU without his expertise, fidelity and loving interest in our well being. His elder brought thought I was the devil incarnate. Huh?
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

kate123

I get THAT Louise. My kids are from two very different test tubes (not really, LOL). But if you listen to each of their stories you would not know they lived in the same house and grew up together with the same mother. Go figure!?
I always like what Lauren Hutton said, "I would not go back to 20 unless I could take my fifty year brain". Maybe if I was smarter I would have done better, but I don't want any do over's!


Live, Learn, then realize you will never understand anything. 

malfoyfan

I keep thinking "I must have done something wrong in raising him" but my husband says, no, we didn't!  He's choosing to be influenced by his wife and there's nothing we can do.  I'm trying to get past it but then I make the mistake of going on Facebook and seeing all the photos my DIL posts of the baby with her family, and all the negative feelings come flooding back.  I'm tired of feeling so angry and resentful. 

luise.volta

That's a very important step, M., to get royally sick of it! You have other choices once you get that far!  Hugs...
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

kate123

Hello Malfoyfan, please don't torture yourself by looking at facebook. I know it is hard, and it is almost an addiction and you will have withdrawals. And remember, what you see are pictures. Things are not always what they seem in pictures.

MORE than likely, you or your husband did nothing wrong. You are just victims of this generation gap. Forget them, live your life, be happy, spend your money!  ;)

malfoyfan

Kate, you're right.  I know there are always other things behind what I see on FB.  I just wish I could learn to look at the photos and not have that rush of negative emotions.  Hopefully I'll get there some day.  I started reading one of Eckhart Tolles' books and it's helping me see things differently.

I also agree with you about the generation gap; how the 20-somethings treat their parents is radically different from how we treated ours, and the gap seems to be widening as time goes by.  Kind of sad. 

kate123

Mal, after many years I still cannot look at any pictures and not feel negative emotions. How can we not feel hurt that none of those pictures include us, or have anything to do with us. Better not to look at all. I have tried to opt out of FB, but then other sites link you back in "for security" or some nonsense. So I have it, but very rarely use it. It is such a childish thing anyway, a bunch of people just portraying an image of a life that they what you to believe exists. Like what children do at a certain age in order to be accepted by their peers.
And the generation gap, there was a time when we took wisdom from our parents. It is the teachings from one generation to the next that has aided humans in moving forward. I think of it as being given two choices to learn, one by trial and error (which could take years), the other by learning from someone who has already done the trials and errors and found the solution. How stupid would you be to make the first choice? That is how stupid this generation is being. Every little bit of advice and experience we can give them, is less they have to figure out on their own. But they think they do not need that, they think they can learn it all on their own, with their computer or whatever. Some things are not out there in computer land. I was talking with someone the other day about recipes that used to be handed down in families. In recent times grandmothers have been taking the recipes to their grave because no on ever bothered to ask for them. It is the same with many other things as well, the old ways of carpentry, house and barn building, family stories...and BOOKS.. all disappearing information. Very sad to see and I wonder if there will be any regrets. Probably not.