Today I found Out My Mother Passed Away

T

Tania Admin

So today I found out that my mother died last August. It's been a roller coaster of emotions.
Those who know my history know I had a very nightmare childhood.
I was an A grade student and not a problem child. We never went anywhere, not camping, not on walks, not to the park, not to the pool,, absolutely nowhere with mum. I would hide in books and studying so I wouldn't be mentally there.
She would go away for nights/weekends and I would look after xxxx and then xxxxx as well once he was born. I was under nourished, beaten severely and regularly (the leather plaited dog lead being one of her favourites), molested, made to feel worthless, took care of my brother and then my baby brother when he was born and pretty much lived in hell.
I left at 13 and was made to go back by the courts and then left at 14 when welfare removed me from mum's care after reports from neighbours and mums friends (why they didn't remove my brothers I can't understand). I was put into short term foster care as long term was hard to get for teenagers. And I was a good teenager, I wasn't out of home for fault of my own. I ended up travelling across the country and getting a job and getting my own place as the short term places were a max of 3 months and then a group home I went to was another nightmare in the making.
Even then the torment didn't stop. I'd buy and send gifts to my brothers and money to her and she would call me telling me she wanted better or more. Nothing was good enough. My brother xxxx was finally out of her care at 14, when he had finger mark bruising on his neck from her trying to strangle him. I still sent money and gifts for my little brother. Then one year I sent her a gift instead of money (it was a facial steamer) and she rang me telling me how useless I was and how my brother hated me because she had told him lies about me.
I still kept in contact. I paid her storage bill for her when she moved from a large house to a unit (while she waited for another house to come up). The deal was I would be given my photos from when I was little, my christening gown, my TinTin collection my Dad xxxx had given me and my stamp and coin collection my grandfather had given me. When I refused to pay more of the bill she laughed at me and told me it had been an expensive mistake and I would not get my things. I was devastated. I still kept in touch though. And still she was awful to me,,telling me I was disgusting for letting my abuser touch me,,,I was 6 the 1st person and 8 or 9 the second. Yet I still stayed in touch on and off.
Then this morning I found out she passed on the 13th of August last year. I am upset my brother did not tell me.
I am also upset because I have been trying to extract one happy, kind, loving memory of her. There are none. She never told me she loved me, she never hugged me, she never talked to me about things, never educated me about being female, she never complimented me, there are no memories of her that make me smile or laugh or where she made me smile or laugh.
One of the last times I spoke with her she told me she was going to record all of the bad things from her life so I could have that if she passed before me. I asked her to not. I told her that I wanted happiness.
There are so many more horrible things that went on in that house from hell nightmare I lived. Things people find difficult to believe.
I am sad that she stole my childhood and now as an adult finding out months later (yes I'm angry at my brother for not telling me)she's passed I'm sad that I can't grieve for a parent who nurtured and protected me.

All I can grieve for is the parent I never had.
 

sabredog

Steppin' Out
Legend Member
Points
30
So today I found out that my mother died last August. It's been a roller coaster of emotions.
Those who know my history know I had a very nightmare childhood.
I was an A grade student and not a problem child. We never went anywhere, not camping, not on walks, not to the park, not to the pool,, absolutely nowhere with mum. I would hide in books and studying so I wouldn't be mentally there.
She would go away for nights/weekends and I would look after xxxx and then xxxxx as well once he was born. I was under nourished, beaten severely and regularly (the leather plaited dog lead being one of her favourites), molested, made to feel worthless, took care of my brother and then my baby brother when he was born and pretty much lived in hell.
I left at 13 and was made to go back by the courts and then left at 14 when welfare removed me from mum's care after reports from neighbours and mums friends (why they didn't remove my brothers I can't understand). I was put into short term foster care as long term was hard to get for teenagers. And I was a good teenager, I wasn't out of home for fault of my own. I ended up travelling across the country and getting a job and getting my own place as the short term places were a max of 3 months and then a group home I went to was another nightmare in the making.
Even then the torment didn't stop. I'd buy and send gifts to my brothers and money to her and she would call me telling me she wanted better or more. Nothing was good enough. My brother xxxx was finally out of her care at 14, when he had finger mark bruising on his neck from her trying to strangle him. I still sent money and gifts for my little brother. Then one year I sent her a gift instead of money (it was a facial steamer) and she rang me telling me how useless I was and how my brother hated me because she had told him lies about me.
I still kept in contact. I paid her storage bill for her when she moved from a large house to a unit (while she waited for another house to come up). The deal was I would be given my photos from when I was little, my christening gown, my TinTin collection my Dad xxxx had given me and my stamp and coin collection my grandfather had given me. When I refused to pay more of the bill she laughed at me and told me it had been an expensive mistake and I would not get my things. I was devastated. I still kept in touch though. And still she was awful to me,,telling me I was disgusting for letting my abuser touch me,,,I was 6 the 1st person and 8 or 9 the second. Yet I still stayed in touch on and off.
Then this morning I found out she passed on the 13th of August last year. I am upset my brother did not tell me.
I am also upset because I have been trying to extract one happy, kind, loving memory of her. There are none. She never told me she loved me, she never hugged me, she never talked to me about things, never educated me about being female, she never complimented me, there are no memories of her that make me smile or laugh or where she made me smile or laugh.
One of the last times I spoke with her she told me she was going to record all of the bad things from her life so I could have that if she passed before me. I asked her to not. I told her that I wanted happiness.
There are so many more horrible things that went on in that house from hell nightmare I lived. Things people find difficult to believe.
I am sad that she stole my childhood and now as an adult finding out months later (yes I'm angry at my brother for not telling me)she's passed I'm sad that I can't grieve for a parent who nurtured and protected me.

All I can grieve for is the parent I never had.

I am so sorry about this for you Tania. Particularly because my two daughters (steps actually, though I am Dad to them and they are my daughters in every way) refuse to talk to their mother after not what she did to them as they grew up, but how she treated them as young impressionable teenagers and young adults. I never knew this as it was all conducted when I was at work and only after she decided my best friend was a better target of manipulation did I understand. I share my two daughters pain and try to mitigate their disdain though this is hard to attain. She does not know she has two more grandchildren and the girls will never tell her she does. I would share more but not here.

I can only imagine how hard it was for you to grow to adulthood in such an environment and yet you attempted at all times to be a dutiful daughter. Truly, you are a better person.

Much respect and kudos for sharing Tania.

All the best and please keep sharing.
 

Sexty8

Sexty8 - you do me , and then I owe you one!
Diamond Member
Points
5
I am glad you can use this forum as an outlet, you obviously are a strong character and I wish you well in enduring and hopefully enjoying what lies ahead in your life as there is much to live.
 
T

Tania Admin

Thank you all for your kind words. It was a difficult start to life that's for sure. Still is sometimes.
I am glad that when I share my experiences on here that others come forward too.
Life isn't All Rose flowers, there are also thorns.
The forum has definitely been therapeutic for me when it comes to sharing some of my tremulous life experiences.
 
T

Tania Admin

I am so sorry about this for you Tania. Particularly because my two daughters (steps actually, though I am Dad to them and they are my daughters in every way) refuse to talk to their mother after not what she did to them as they grew up, but how she treated them as young impressionable teenagers and young adults. I never knew this as it was all conducted when I was at work and only after she decided my best friend was a better target of manipulation did I understand. I share my two daughters pain and try to mitigate their disdain though this is hard to attain. She does not know she has two more grandchildren and the girls will never tell her she does. I would share more but not here.

I can only imagine how hard it was for you to grow to adulthood in such an environment and yet you attempted at all times to be a dutiful daughter. Truly, you are a better person.

Much respect and kudos for sharing Tania.

All the best and please keep sharing.
They are very lucky to have you. My dad is my step dad. I have great memories of him when I was little and after we reconnected years later when I left home. We are still close now.
My hubby is a great step parent too. Thank goodness my offspring have a great Male role model.
 

AmeliaKennedy

Private Escort in Perth twitter :ameliakennedyxx
Diamond Member
Points
63
I am so beyond sorry to read this, thank you for trusting us all enough to share! I cant believe what I just read it has given me goosebumps! I am so sorry you had to become an adult and grow up way beyond your years and I can't begin to praise you enough on continuing to stay strong and support your brothers and mum even after everything. In life some people are takers and some are givers and you are one of life's givers 💜

I'm sorry to hear your mums passed and you never managed to get an apology or any closure on why she treated you the way she did and why she was so negative towards you but just know it wasn't your fault I really hope going forward you can build stronger relationships with your brothers.

I am sending so much love and virtual hugs and if you need anything I'm right here.

Xx
 

Slugger1

Legend Member
Points
120
Thank you for sharing Tania. I was very touched by your story and feel empathy for you. Unfortunately some parents are not equipped to handle life's pressures and what raising a child really means.

I grew up in a household where I had an alcoholic abusive Father who was always coming and going from home for periods of time. But I was blessed with a loving protective Mother so I always knew I could rely on her.

I can't imagine what it would have been like without her and what a difficult childhood I would have had.

I had very conflicting emotions when my Father died that took me a long time to resolve.

You have obviously overcome adversity in your life and have chosen a different path to your Mother so kudos to you.

She sounds like she was a very controlling woman and wanted to inflict emotional hurt on you for whatever reason despite your efforts to help and support her and be a better Daughter than she was a Mother.

I hope your relationship with your Brothers improves over time because life is too short to carry anger.

I thought of a famous quote from Carl Gustav Jung when I read your story:

" I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."
 

Alfred

Diamond Member
Points
7
Really tough one Tania. I was one of the lucky ones who never had to doubt the care of my mum and dad. I can't imagine what it would have been like for you, deserving much better than you got and now she is dead it won't cure anything or leave the chance for anything better. Keep doing the right thing, as you have already. You are proof of resilience and hopefully your brother will understand what happened better than he does now.
 

HappyPirate

Old Pirate...
Legend Member
Points
1,147
Thank you for sharing Tania. I agree with all the above;-
Unfortunately some parents are not equipped to handle life's pressures and what raising a child really means.

I grew up in a household where I had an abusive Father, who only cared about himself and his gambling needs,
But I was blessed with a loving protective Mother.
Live your life and be happy and proactive, thank-you for sharing
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller
 
T

Tania Admin

Thank you all for your support❤. That is one of the reasons I love our Forum so much. We really do have a good crew here, even if sometimes we clash a little.

@AmeliaKennedy most definitely I had to grow up to fast. I was way beyond my years. Because of this I often found it difficult within my own age group when I was younger but was still to young in many ways to fit into an older age group. I felt very alienated and was quite often labelled as weird. I had some emotional issues with trust and other things and only in the last few years realised that PTSD was a part of my life due to my traumatic childhood.

@Slugger1 I hope my brothers come around. My youngest brother was so young when I left and has blocked out memories. It's really sad because I actually stuck it out longer because I didn't want to leave them with her. When I left I thought that the system would take them too and we would find a happy stable place to live together.

I'm glad I can pour my heart out on here and have done so on quite a few occasions. Love you guys and gals 💋
 

Plumage

Diamond Member
Points
1
Saying goodbye is always hard, even saying goodbye to so much pain. That you kept offering intimacy, even though your face kept getting slapped, says so much about you, Tania. It is what I aspire to be some day. But the past is dead. It has no grip left, though we can keep putting oursleves in its hands if we aren't careful. The world is now, and you are in it, and thank God for that, and may you have much happiness to look back on in the years to come. You are pretty damn awesome, and everyone here is already in your debt. Hugs babe.
 
T

Tania Admin

I've been crying since last night. I guess the shock has worn off a little. She wasn't a great mum, she was cruel and hurtful but she was still my mum. I'm so hurt I wasn't told she was sick and that she had passed away. I can't understand why my brother didn't tell me. My nanna wasn't told either. I feel like not only did she take my childhood, my ability to trust and fit in with "normal" people because no-one understood what I've been through, my being able to see her or speak to her and to say goodbye was taken from me too. Despite everything I had always stayed in contact with her, though sometimes not for a while after another barrage of awful abuse and insults about me as a child and when I couldn't get hold of her I presumed she was just doing her usual thing.
 

Moby Dick

Mr. Mojo Rising
Silver Member
Points
11
The sacred lotus can only thrive in muddy, murky ponds or slow moving shallow rivers. It absorbs what little nutrients it can get from the dirty dark depths and lives peaceful and hurts no one, only to bring scerinity and beauty to the environment it lives in... on top of that it purifies it.

It provides shelter and sustenance to umunteen number of creatures... from little worms to human beings. It protects tadpoles, frogs, fish to play hide and seek with the predatory birds. Lotus leaves floating on the surface work as toad stools or landing strip's for dragon fly...

Nu wonder, it is considered sacred by many many cultures.

Please be at peace because you are a lotus to your environment.

You are an inspiration to those around you.

Love you and wish you happiness and bliss

🙂
 
D

Deleted member 49173

WOW Tania .. I am a bit like Amelia .. and Obie .. and Alfred ..
but I'm kinda speechless and shaken , and so very glad you seen it a good idea to let it out here. Thank you for allowing me to experience your pain .. it may not help you directly , but it sure helps me in ways you may never know.

Clearly you're an incredibly strong soul .. and you've obviously made some very GOOD decisions of your own in your own life

.. appreciate your precious time and mammoth efforts here on TS .. hugz
 
T

Tania Admin

I feel like I owe everyone an apology for being a little disassociated lately. My mothers passing has triggered a lot of awful memories and I'm trying to deal with the whole kefuffle.
It's kind of like watching a horror movie where your the star, over and over but it was the formation years of my life.
Am I struggling right now?
Yes, more than many could imagine.
Am I okay?

I will be. I survived my mother and an emotionally abusive ex.

I'm here though. Offering support, advice and acceptance when needed.

I'm a Tigger. I will bounce back. Just this cliff was a little higher.

Oh what a huge 18 months this has been...
 
D

Deleted member 49173

apology ABSOLUTELY NOT owed .. your story/experience share here is one of 2021's best contributions by far !!! no question ..

If it helps you in any way at all Tania , then your sharing here has been a completely positive , and right , thing to do .. for us all

THANK YOU
 

Drinkwater

Gold Member
Points
2
No need to apologise or feel guilty at all Tania. We all have moments where we need to take a step back and deal.

I didn't comment before because I really didn't know what to say but even though most of us have never met, you have a lot of friends here that you can always reach out to. 🥀
 
T

Tania Admin

The sacred lotus can only thrive in muddy, murky ponds or slow moving shallow rivers. It absorbs what little nutrients it can get from the dirty dark depths and lives peaceful and hurts no one, only to bring scerinity and beauty to the environment it lives in... on top of that it purifies it.

It provides shelter and sustenance to umunteen number of creatures... from little worms to human beings. It protects tadpoles, frogs, fish to play hide and seek with the predatory birds. Lotus leaves floating on the surface work as toad stools or landing strip's for dragon fly...

Nu wonder, it is considered sacred by many many cultures.

Please be at peace because you are a lotus to your environment.

You are an inspiration to those around you.

Love you and wish you happiness and bliss

🙂
I don't know why I only just saw this. I honestly am astounded by the support. You really have made my day.💋
 
T

Tania Admin

apology ABSOLUTELY NOT owed .. your story/experience share here is one of 2021's best contributions by far !!! no question ..

If it helps you in any way at all Tania , then your sharing here has been a completely positive , and right , thing to do .. for us all

THANK YOU

No need to apologise or feel guilty at all Tania. We all have moments where we need to take a step back and deal.

I didn't comment before because I really didn't know what to say but even though most of us have never met, you have a lot of friends here that you can always reach out to. 🥀

To you both and everyone who has offered support on this thread and via messages, you really are awesome. I do wear my heart on my sleeve and talk openly about all my experiences whether positive or negative, very openly. It's just how I am.
To be completely honest the support you all give me brings a tear to my eye and words can not express how grateful I am for each and every one of you. 💋
 
S

SilverSurfer44

I'm sorry your mum was more poor at caring and your brother took so long to tell you.
 
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