Ask Amy: Aunt wonders if a violent abuser can change
In terms of the person who texted you, you could have responded: “I’m not sure why you are contacting me about this, but, hey, do what you’ve gotta do.”
Dear Amy: Your advice to “Sad Dad,” trying to re-establish his relationship with his estranged son was SPOT ON.
I ended all contact, on my own, with my horribly selfish father when I was 12.
Fast-forward 13 years. He calls me at the hospital after I had just given birth to my first child, and IMMEDIATELY launched into, “When can I see you?”
He did this for months and then called me up SCREAMING because I was still hedging.
After that, I hedged no more. I closed that door permanently.
No Regrets
Dear No Regrets: I suggested that this parent should tread lightly and respectfully; I assume things might have been different if your father had done the same.
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
