Hypocritical step family
I just need to vent about Father's Day. My stepfather was in my life for 20 years and helped me through the ups and downs of high school and young adulthood. He was always there for me, careful not to overstep my mom's parenting authority when I was a teenager while still being the father figure in my life. He wasn't perfect but he was doing his best and I respect him for that. He was a good father to me and his biological children. He chose to stop life-saving treatment last year after battling a long illness and he died shortly after that. Before he died my mom was the sole caregiver for the last 3 years of his life. I moved in with them for 6 months while working full time to help with the household cooking and chores, and to get back on my feet financially. It was a win-win solution for my mom and I before I accepted a better paying job out of state. My stepdad had 4 children and numerous adult grandchildren, their spouses and other relatives. Out of this huge group of family no one called or visited, no one brought meals or offered to help clean the house. There are enough family members where the work could be divided to a couple hour visit 1 day a month each. Not a big commitment to help your father out. When he was well they would only call when they needed something (and he was always there to help with money or advice or drive across town to be with you to help find a solution to your problem) but never just to chat or spend time with him. My mom was alone bearing the brunt of being the only caregiver besides me for a little while, and requests for help from his side of the family were not fruitful. When I moved away I thought one or two of them would step up and help her but I was wrong. I called every weekend and flew down to visit for a week 4 times a year or so, to give my mom a break and have family time. I feel I did the bare minimum by them but I also needed to live my own life and pursue my dreams. It broke my heart when my stepdad broke down and cried when I would come visit because he missed me. The fact is he died a lonely man who felt he was a burden to those around him. I'm upset because today my step siblings and step family are posting photos of my stepdad on social media and saying how much they miss him. How can they say that when they never came around when he was alive? If they miss him so much why didn't they come see him? No one can know the true relationship between two other people but it feels like they are being hypocrites and putting on a show for others. It really irked me at the celebration of life when they were making a big show of crying and speeches, and now this. I'm not saying that I was closer or cared more or was the better daughter. It's not a competition and no doubt this is a difficult day for all of us. We all have lives and cannot visit every day of the week. I just wish all this affection they're professing all of a sudden was real and that they had spent more time with their dad and thought about him before he passed away...
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