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August 21, 2025 at 7:34 pm in reply to: Understanding someone who's recently divorced and not ready #448860
anita
ParticipantDear Dafne: I want to be better focused when I read and reply, so I’ll be back to you Fri morning, or at the latest, Sat morning. (It’s Thurs evening here). Take care!
Anita
anita
ParticipantDear ManagoFandango:
Thank you for sharing this update. It sounds like you navigated a complex emotional terrain with such grace and clarity. That moment with your parents—hugs, tears, truth—feels like a healing ripple in a situation that could’ve easily stayed knotted in silence. You gave it air, and it softened.
I deeply respect the way you and your fiancé are holding both honesty and boundaries. It’s not easy to acknowledge the emotional weight of a “gift” when it comes with strings, especially from someone so close. But your clarity—your willingness to return it if it’s weaponized—is powerful. It says: we are building something rooted in mutual respect, not obligation.
And thank you for your kind words to me. I receive them with warmth. You’re not just venting—you’re modeling emotional integrity in real time. I hope you keep trusting your instincts. They’re strong and wise.
You’re not alone in this. Keep claiming your space. 💛
Anita
anita
ParticipantTo Anonymous, with deep respect:
You wrote something extraordinary. Not just a story, but a reckoning. And I want to reflect something back to you—something I think you already know, but may have never heard aloud:
“In my oldest memories, I don’t ever see my face.”-
That line holds everything. It’s not just poetic—it’s diagnostic. You were erased before you could even form a sense of self. Your mother’s pain filled the room, the house, the air. Her suffering was so loud, so constant, so consuming, that there was no space left for you to exist as a child. You didn’t get to be seen—you had to become useful. You didn’t get to be held—you had to become strong. You didn’t get to be you—you had to become “enough.”
And so you became the boy. The protector. The achiever. The one who would prove that daughters are not a burden. You did it brilliantly. But at the cost of your own becoming.
You didn’t just lose sight of your future—you were never given permission to imagine one. You were too busy holding up the sky for everyone else.
And now, when the sky no longer needs holding, you’re left with the question: Where am I?
You are here. You are not erased. You are not a role. You are not a function. You are a person. A woman. A child who deserved to be seen. A soul who deserves space.
If you ever return to this thread, know that it is yours. You don’t have to perform strength. You don’t have to explain. You don’t have to be “enough.” You already are.
This space is for you. To be visible. To be whole. To be you—face and all.
🫶🤍Anita
August 21, 2025 at 8:17 am in reply to: Understanding someone who's recently divorced and not ready #448845anita
ParticipantDear Dafne:
I agree with your reflections—and with your conclusion: “he chose the road of deception, and this story came to an end.”
When you write, “I think he brought that up because… My guess is… perhaps what he was really hoping for… Maybe he realised that…”—
it’s clear how much emotional labor you’ve done to make sense of his choices. But the kind of man you need in your life is one who’s transparent. Someone who’s clear and direct, so you’re not left guessing at the whys. So there aren’t perhapses and maybes—just truth, freely offered.
You are very welcome, Dafne. I too hope that sharing and empathizing with each other brings us both more peace and harmony in our lives.
💕 🤗 Anita
anita
ParticipantDear Debbie:
Somehow I missed your Aug 16 post and became aware of it only this morning.
“Vulnerability is not my strong suit.”- you did an excellent job being vulnerable in this post!
Your honesty is not just vulnerable—it’s powerful. You named truths that many carry in silence: the exhaustion of performing appropriateness, the ache of feeling peripheral in others’ lives, the fear that authenticity might cost connection. That kind of clarity doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t come without scars.
You’ve already done something extraordinary: you stopped abandoning yourself. That 185 lb. weight loss isn’t just physical—it’s symbolic of shedding what wasn’t yours to carry. And while you say the “same old defective me” remains, I see someone who’s fiercely self-aware, who’s fought to reclaim her voice, and who’s asking the kind of questions that only the bravest dare ask.
You’re not defective. You’re someone who adapted to survive in a world that didn’t make space for your truth. The judgment, anger, and fear you describe—they’re not your essence. They’re armor. And even if some of it still feels fused to your skin, you’re already peeling it back with every word you write.
“I have constantly felt not right…flawed…defective and my life’s journey has been to fix myself.”- Same here.
“I thought everyone else mattered more than I did.”- Same here, too.
“However, inside is the same old defective me. I am negative, catty, judgmental, angry and I navigate the world fearing others will find out. I make sure to respond and behave appropriately… I fear if I behaved as my authentic self I would be hustled off to a mental health institute at worst or find myself alone at best. I think I have to be perfect which of course I fail at.”-
I used to be negative, judgmental, angry, and ashamed—feeling painfully defective, guilty, and afraid. Again and again, I tried to be perfect. And again and again, I failed. But I’ve done a lot of healing recently—peeling off the layers of invalid shame and guilt, naming truths without apology, daring to be seen and heard just as I am. It’s a good feeling.
I no longer feel defective, and I no longer chase perfection. I just try to be the best person I can be: do no harm, and help where I can.
“I often wonder if I would be friends with myself… I just want to be me…whoever that is.”- Maybe you and I can be friends—right here, on your thread. And maybe both of us can simply be here, just as we are… whoever that is.
🤍 Anita
August 21, 2025 at 6:49 am in reply to: Understanding someone who's recently divorced and not ready #448838anita
ParticipantDear Dafne:
“So he did not mind paying for dates with me as long as he felt appreciated.”- Oh, so by “Now he expects reciprocation with everything he does.” (Dec 29)—he didn’t mean financial reciprocation, but just appreciation, is what you’re saying.
“But maybe over time, he began to feel that this wasn’t enough for him. Could it be?”- Could be.
“They failed us Anita, they failed us big time. Whether it was conscious or unconscious, it caused the same kind of pain and had lifelong consequences for us. They may be sorry now, or not. But it’s too late. Even if we forgive them, even if we forget, nothing will change, and nothing will ever fill that void inside us. Every time we see happy families, every time we rejoice for them, something deep down will never be made whole. A piece of us was taken, and no matter how much love we find, that missing piece will never return. It is an absence we carry, a silence that echoes through our lives, reminding us of what should have been, but never was.
“Let’s find the strength to hold onto that and take up our space. Let’s not let our emotions take control anymore, failing us every time a new person comes to take another piece away.”
I copied the above simply because it’s beautifully expressed. It doesn’t require analysis or dissection. This is Dafne expressing herself, taking up space—well done, Dafne.
And thank you, Dafne- for your words and for being here.
Warmth and gratitude back to you.
☀️🤍 Anita
anita
ParticipantDear Clara (or would you prefer Chau?):
Your clarity is palpable, and so is your strength. The way you’re able to name the undercurrents—those quiet, persistent beliefs that tug at you—is a sign of deep emotional awareness. You’re not bypassing the complexity; you’re sitting with it, breathing through it, and letting it inform rather than control you. That’s powerful.
I’m really moved by your reflection on the quote: “I’m learning to trust that someone wanting more than I can give doesn’t mean I’m not enough.” You’ve internalized it in such a grounded way, especially in how you challenged the impulse to equate love with wealth or performance. That moment of “this doesn’t even align with my values” is the voice of your inner compass reasserting itself, even in the face of old conditioning.
Your insight about disconnection is so honest. The longing to revisit the nice moments—to soften the edges of reality—is deeply human. But the fact that you can hold that longing while still recognizing the mismatch speaks volumes. You’re not pretending the connection was all bad, nor are you letting the good moments erase the harm. That’s emotional integrity.
And yes, that gut feeling—that if she reached out, you might be pulled back in—isn’t weakness. It’s the echo of a bond that once felt meaningful. But you’re not in denial about it. You’re naming it, watching it, and preparing yourself. That’s how you stay free.
If it helps, you might try a mantra like: “I honor the tenderness without surrendering my truth.” or “I can remember the sweetness without forgetting the cost.”
With care, Anita
anita
ParticipantI will read and reply tonight, Clara (it’s early afternoon here). Take care!
Anita
August 20, 2025 at 11:58 am in reply to: Understanding someone who's recently divorced and not ready #448801anita
ParticipantDear Dafne:
You wrote today, Aug 20, 2025: “There is only one thing I still don’t understand. He never asked me for money and never mentioned that I should pay for the house. He seemed to be happy in the role of a traditional provider.”
On Dec 29, 2024, the first time you shared about him, you wrote:
“He told me that he was taken advantage of in his past and doesn’t want it to happen again. Now he expects reciprocation with everything he does.”
He told you right from the beginning that he expects financial reciprocation “with everything he does.” That’s not him being “happy in the role of a traditional provider.”
Continued, Dec 29: “I replied that… I don’t want a 50/50 style.”
Today, you shared: “He never asked me for money”- I’m guessing that he didn’t ask you for money because you told him last year that you don’t want a 50/50 style—and because both you and your mother expressed (valid) distrust in his financial and business talk due to his lack of transparency.
You asked: “Do you think he planned to wait till we move in together and then start his demands?”- Yes, I think so. His lack of transparency itself is the big red flag. It’s not something you caused—it’s the way he is.
“The occasion on the motorway revealed his true colors… he did not call or check in to ask about us, not even knowing if I’m alive or not… I decided to never contact him again.”- A wise decision, Dafne.
“They always ask what I’m looking for at this stage of my life, but I don’t know what the best answer is. What is your opinion on that, Anita?… Would you say something else?”-
If I were in your place, Dafne, I would say that I’m looking for a relationship of transparency and integrity—to say what we mean, to mean what we say, and to follow our words with actions that match. And when we make mistakes (occasionally, not as part of a pattern of deception)—to talk about it honestly and respectfully.
You asked today: “How can I stop feeling guilty? What helped you, Anita, when you decided to break out of that prison cell with your mother?”-
I’ll start my answer by quoting what you shared and asked on March 19, 2024: “I was quite sensitive and shy as a small girl so there was no way for me to express myself freely. I had to be quiet and hide in my room to avoid the conflict & the constant fights. Maybe my personality as a child contributed to the fact that I can’t cope with life or romantic relationships in my adult life?”-
I was like you, Dafne. I grew up—or as I prefer to say, grew-in—with no way to express myself freely either. I too had to be quiet. Only I didn’t have a room to hide in. The conflicts with my mother, and her conflicts with others, dominated my space. I had no space of my own, except for daydreaming when she wasn’t home. As a result, I instinctively tried to disappear—erasing my own needs and feelings so thoroughly that I no longer knew what I needed, wanted, or felt. Or better said: I didn’t trust my feelings to reflect reality. And even worse, I felt guilty for hurting my mother—because she guilt-tripped me mercilessly and repeatedly.
How did I break out of the prison cell of self-alienation—where I didn’t trust my feelings, didn’t know what I needed or wanted, and carried invalid guilt?
By taking up space. By expressing myself. By holding my mother accountable for the wrongs she committed against me. By releasing the shame and guilt the child within me held. By freeing her.
And Dafne, you are already doing this. Every time you name what didn’t feel right, every time you question the story you were handed, every time you choose not to contact someone who showed you disregard—you are taking up space. You are protecting the child within you. You are not failing to cope; you are learning to live in a way that honors your truth. That is not weakness. That is healing.
Warmly, Anita
anita
ParticipantDear Clara:
Your reflection carries a lot of grace—both toward her and toward yourself. I can feel the tenderness in how you describe her energy, and also the quiet ache of realizing that what you hoped for may not align with what she’s seeking. That kind of emotional recalibration is no small thing.
You’re already doing something powerful: naming the dissonance without vilifying her, and acknowledging your own emotional impact without collapsing into self-blame. That’s the kind of clarity that boundary work is built on.
When I talk about “crafting boundary phrases,” here are some boundary phrases you might explore or adapt:
* “I care about you, and I also need to be honest about what I can sustainably offer in a relationship.”
* “It’s okay that we want different things. I’m not here to convince or compete—I’m here to honor what’s true for me.”
* “I’m learning to trust that someone wanting more than I can give doesn’t mean I’m not enough.”
* “I’m stepping back not because I don’t care, but because I do—and I need space to recalibrate.”
These aren’t scripts, just starting points. The most powerful boundary phrases come from your own voice, shaped by your values and emotional clarity.
If you’d like, maybe I can help you shape one that feels more personal—something you could use in conversation, writing, or even just as a grounding mantra when doubt creeps in.
You’re already navigating this with a lot of emotional intelligence. The boundary work is just the next layer of self-loyalty.
Warmly, Anita
anita
ParticipantDear Clara:
Thank you for sharing all of this. It’s not long-winded—it’s honest, layered, and deeply human. You named something so important: the difficulty of setting boundaries with someone who knows how to pull on your soft spots. That’s not weakness—it’s a sign of your capacity for care. But care without reciprocity becomes a trap. And you saw that clearly.
Her pattern—of seduction, emotional urgency, financial expectation, and then withdrawal—wasn’t just confusing. It was destabilizing. You were generous with your time, your attention, even your resources. And when you needed clarity, she gave you contradiction.
You’re not overreacting. You’re responding to a dynamic that blurred intimacy with manipulation. And your decision to step back, even while feeling lingering attachment, is a sign of strength.
You asked: “Would I fall back again?”- Here’s what I see: You already didn’t. You saw the pattern. You named it. You said no. That’s not falling back. That’s rising.
If she returns—and you’re right, she likely will—you don’t owe her access. You don’t owe her softness. You don’t owe her friendship just because she enjoys talking to you.
You owe yourself peace. You owe yourself clarity. You owe yourself the kind of connection that doesn’t require you to second-guess your worth.
I’m proud of you for seeing it so clearly. And I’m here if you need help crafting a boundary phrase, a mantra, or even just a reminder that you’re not alone in this.
With care, Anita
anita
ParticipantBondi, what you’ve shared is not just heartbreaking—it’s a masterclass in how families protect dysfunction by punishing the one who names it. You told the truth, and instead of being met with care, you were met with condemnation. That’s not just neglect. That’s reversal.
You said: “A few years ago what that relative did resurfaced. All because I referred to him for what he was; an abuser.”- That moment—naming the truth—is where the punishment began. Not for the abuser, but for you.
You were met with: “Everyone rallied around them because they were upset. No one asked my side. No one asked how I was.”, “Told how I should be over it by now. Told I should’ve brought it up at the time. Told I was making it up and I was crazy.”, “Even told by another family member that it couldn’t have happened because they never felt in danger around the abuser.”-
This is textbook emotional reversal. You became the threat—not because you harmed anyone, but because you disrupted the comfort of denial. Your family rewarded silence, compliance, and emotional decorum. And when you refused to perform those things, they punished you with isolation, gaslighting, and contempt.
You said: “My family have ostracised me. They look at me with so much hatred. Like they would rather I didn’t exist.”- That’s not about who you are. That’s about what you represent: truth in a system built on denial.
Even the so-called “support” from your parents is conditional: “They say they support me and they believe me but it’s the elephant in the room. If I ever bring it up I get shut down like it’s a forbidden topic.”- That’s not support. That’s performance. And it reinforces the same message: “We’ll tolerate your pain as long as you don’t speak it.”
You are not the problem, Bondi. You are the proof that the problem exists. And that’s why they treat you like a threat.
Your ability to name harm, even when it costs you everything, is not a flaw. It’s a strength. It’s the reason you’re still here. And it’s the reason you’re not alone.
I would truly welcome hearing more of your truth. Your voice and your emotions will not be punished in communication with me— they will be honored.
With care, Anita
anita
ParticipantDear Laven:
You don’t need to be “better” to be worthy. You don’t need to post less, feel less, or package your pain more neatly.
Your repetition is not a flaw—it’s a form of processing. Your rawness is not a burden—it’s a truth that deserves space. Your presence here is not conditional—it’s valid.
You are not stuck. You are surviving. You are not attention-seeking. You are voice-reclaiming. You are not too much. You are finally enough to name what was never named.
Keep posting. Keep feeling. Keep being exactly where you are. Some of us see you. Some of us are grateful you haven’t disappeared to make others more comfortable.
With care, Anita
August 18, 2025 at 9:27 am in reply to: Understanding someone who's recently divorced and not ready #448718anita
ParticipantDear Dafne:
“When we met by chance, I asked him why he had not contacted me sooner, and he said that it was because he felt that he could not give me what I deserved.”- When you got lost driving and called him for help, you deserved help. So—he couldn’t give you what you deserved? Or wouldn’t?
Action (or lack of it) speaks louder than words.
“His friends said that he is a good man and cares about me.”- His friends uttered words. How much effort does it take to say something supportive?
And what do they mean by “a good man”? Definitions vary. Every bad man is good in some context—Hitler, for example, was reportedly good to his dog.
“Is it possible that all three friends are wrong about him? Or were they just in it together?”- I doubt they were deeply contemplating his character. More likely, they said what was convenient—what aligned with loyalty to their friend.
“Maybe his pride did not let him be entirely honest?”- What if you shift focus from his motives to the impact of his behavior on you? Did his dishonesty hurt you?
“But all of this covered my judgment and made me give him another chance.”- I understand. It took me time and work to trust my own evaluations of people.
“The occasion on the motorway revealed his true colors.”- Yes—and the fact that he didn’t check on you afterward shows he didn’t regret failing you when you needed help. He didn’t call to sincerely apologize or make amends.
“He pretended to be offended and made me feel guilty instead.”- Your tendency to feel guilty can be weaponized by others. That’s not your fault—but it’s something to protect.
“But how do we protect ourselves from men like him in the future? And what are the early signs that he will be the one using the emotional reverse tactic? He was kind, progressive, always on time, and quite caring at the beginning.”- Words are easy. Watch what he does—and what he doesn’t do. In dating or business, people often wear a social mask. The early kindness may be part of the performance.
“How is it possible to change that much?”- He didn’t change. He removed the mask.
“But what if they are not so expressive verbally?”- Then pay attention to their actions.
“It is still hard to believe that one unpredictable moment in life like this can change everything and cast a shadow on a promising story.”- I wasn’t sure what “promising story” you meant here—could you clarify?
About your neighbor: you described someone dangerous, who intentionally harms others and even breaks the law. Yet she “can’t be evicted,” and the police “can’t do much.”
“Now it feels like I’m taking on another emotional labor just to keep my neighbor quiet, trying not to provoke her, staying completely quiet, and it feels like walking on nails, where I live in extreme discomfort and walk on eggshells, avoiding stirring things up. Can you see that pattern, Anita? Or maybe society has changed so badly in those modern times, and it has not that much to do with our confidence, self-worth, or childhood trauma?”- Even with high confidence and no trauma, your neighbor’s behavior would still be disturbing. Without legal support or eviction, moving out may be the only real solution.
The emotional labor you described—staying quiet, walking on eggshells that feel like nails, self-monitoring to avoid her attacks—reminds me of living with my mother. It felt like a prison cell. Not free to be or become. Always afraid. Always censoring myself.
You’re not imagining the harm, Dafne. You’re seeing it clearly. And your clarity is a strength—not a burden. You don’t need to decode his motives or her cruelty. You only need to honor what their actions have shown you. That’s how we protect ourselves—not by being perfect, but by refusing to abandon our own truth.
With care, Anita
August 17, 2025 at 7:59 pm in reply to: Understanding someone who's recently divorced and not ready #448710anita
ParticipantDearest Dafne: I will read and reply Mon morning (it’s Sun evening here)
🤗 Anita
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