Hey Ashley,

I’ve always enjoyed your posts and I am sorry to hear about the stress that you are going through. With your bf’s father, he is someone who abandoned his kids and still be prioritised by them which really says a lot about that dynamic. Like you said, your bf is still caught in being that abandoned little boy looking for his father’s approval and it’s hard to go against something as deep seeded as that.

To be honest it sounds like you have done all you can about this and the only decision left is to decide what you are going to do if neither your bf of his dad will change his behaviour? If you two get married and have kids, can you stand being the object of ridicule or just be excluded entirely in family gathers? More importantly, how does it make you feel when your partner doesn’t stand up for you even though he’s promised to? Does your love for him out weigh those feelings?

My suggestion is to take a week off and remove yourself from that environment before making a final call. Go for a hike in the forest and don’t think about it to give your mind a break so that the voice of your intuition can come through. The decision you are about to make should not be based on logic alone so let your heart speak and see where it takes you.