the state before that… getting ill and their health going downhill… no longer able to be the person you grew up with. It’s mentally rough.
Having to be the primary caretaker for my dad before he passed while trying and failing to reconcile with the emotional abuse and detachment from my childhood still fucks me up to this day.
I hear you…I live in a different part of the state than my parents now, but when I see my dad, who used to be a big strong guy (and a bit of an asshole), wither into a ghost of his former self is hard to process for the reason you mentioned. He was emotionally and a little physically abusive, so I battle empathy and bitterness in my head.
Having to be the primary caretaker for my dad before he passed while trying and failing to reconcile with the emotional abuse and detachment from my childhood still fucks me up to this day.
I’m sorry, that sounds so difficult. I’ve already seen so many in my life wither as they had to become caretakers and/or caretakees, and I’m only 40.
I hear you…I live in a different part of the state than my parents now, but when I see my dad, who used to be a big strong guy (and a bit of an asshole), wither into a ghost of his former self is hard to process for the reason you mentioned. He was emotionally and a little physically abusive, so I battle empathy and bitterness in my head.