What this puts our parents through

[Iceman1978]

I don't have kids of my own, but I've heard that one of the most painful things a parent can go through is to watch their child suffer. I have to wonder if my self-esteem and body image issues is putting stress on my mom and dad.

My mom has been the best mother I could have asked for. My dad is there for me too, but I have trouble talking about my self-esteem issues with him. I get the impression that he doesn't want to believe there's really a problem.

As good as they've been to me, I honestly and truly wish that my mother had aborted me. I really do.

 

[Ashariel]

That's an awful thing to feel. (And I've definitely had times when I fervently wished I'd never been born, and felt that my family would have been much happier in that case!)

I agree, it's got to be really rough on parents. And I'm grateful mine have been so supportive of me this past year, since my marriage fell apart. But you know, I actually asked my mom about that. I told her (crying) that I was sorry for being born, and that everyone would have been better off if I'd never existed.

And there wasn't even a split-second hesitation; she just assured me that wasn't the case. And that having me in her life was one of the happiest things for her. (WTF, right?!) I don't know how it feels to be a parent, but I suspect it makes them kind of insane, and they just love us no matter what - even when we can't love ourselves, and don't feel we deserve it.

Hang in there... I'm sorry you're going through such a rough time! *hugs*

 

[Ox Blood]

I can relate.

It's the parents' responsibility to be there and love their children unconditionally. However, they can only do so much to help. If it is self-esteem issues, only you can combat those. Or, you can loathe yourself and stay in that hole forever. It's a deep hole... One I'm trying to crawl out of. It's a little twisted, but it's too easy to stay in your comfort-zone of self-depreciation -- especially if that's all you've ever been exposed to. Fighting to get out of your comfort-zone? Tough work.

Life is short. You can waste it all away. Or, you can find beauty even in the darkest of places, which includes finding that beauty in yourself. One option is infinitely more challenging than the other... However, not impossible. As the saying goes, all things worthwhile take patience, persistence, and effort.

 

[Bones]

Whenever my daughter suffers for one reason or another, it hurts me really bad and I wish I could take the pain from her.

I don't have kids of my own, but I've heard that one of the most painful things a parent can go through is to watch their child suffer ...