Hi Emma,
The last question is a doozy. How to deal with resistance. In the present you can fight against it. i.e. “Look your parents like me, they really like me! Where’s your resistance now?? LOL”.
Or the issue will naturally dissipate the more you focus on other things or even as time goes on.
For example, since you have an open relationship, you could focus on guys that are proud to introduce you to their parents. “What are you talking about, I’m the girl next door, I ran into your mother at my fiance’s mother’s garden party, and she’s perfectly lovely! Oh yes, by the way I’m engaged, sorry!”
Or you can say, “What are you talking about we’re thirty years old now and your parents have dementia!”
He is the only one carrying that image. And even his parent’s have this out dated image of you. If I’m doing my math right, they themselves probably came of age in the 70’s, so I’m sure they don’t judge you as much as everyone lets on!
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 