I'm feeling 8 years old today. My mother has arranged for my dad to spend Thanksgiving with his sister. My dad asked mom if she'd told me and my sister that they're splitting up and my mom said "Of course." He hasn't called or contacted me about it.
From what my mom has said, he's been trying to sweet-talk her, but she doesn't seem to be falling for it. She says she wants to do this as amicably as possible and since my dad is a double amputee AND a stroke victim, she says she still feels responsible for helping him finish physical therapy. She's the one with the health insurance. As far as we know, he is only drinking a few days a week because my mom allows him to spend time at a friend's house on Fridays and Saturdays. I know once he moves out, it's going to worsen.
I mostly am just feeling sad today that my dad has never been able to talk to me, really talk to me. I know that he was beaten severely by his own alcoholic father, and maybe he feels like he broke the cycle because he never hit me. I'm thankful mostly that his abuse was his absense. Trying so hard to realize he is the way he is in large part to abuse he suffered. Trying not to take any of this personally. This has never been about me. It's just hard some days to keep that in mind.