Hello-
I always put my kids first. I was married to their dad for 31 years and only divorced 6 months ago. After years of enduring the silent treatment and his over the top rages, I had had enough. He was never physically abusive to me but was to our second child, my oldest son. After one too many times of the silent treatment, in despair, I googled his symptoms- inability to tolerate criticism, lack of empathy, etc- and boom, narcissistic personality disorder came up. That day changed my life. Though I am a nurse practitioner, I was not well versed in psych. Long story short, I decided that I wanted out but had to stay another year with him to get on my feet financially. During that time, I started seeing a friend that I had known for 20 years, and fell in love with him. My ex husband found out- this was only 2 months before I moved out, but he told my kids and I have no idea what he has told them since, but I am convinced he has made it seem that my seeing someone else was the reason the marriage broke up. Nothing could be further from the truth. My daughter seems okay with it now though it took her a while. My youngest son is getting better. But my middle one, who suffered so much at my ex's hands, is barely talking to me at all. I stay in contact with his wife and their 2 children but he didn't even text or call me on Mothers Day. I have done so much for my kids and grandkids, and I now feel that none of that matters to him at all. I raised my kids as best I could, and they are grown and gone. But I feel that they do not want me to have a life of my own and that they would have preferred that I stay with their dad and been miserable.