Single Dad Clashes With Teen Daughter After Dragging Her To The Funeral Of Her "Deadbeat" Mom

How can she say goodbye when they never said hello?

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• August 17, 2023

The agonizing realization of abandonment can imprint deep psychological scars on a child’s psyche. Imagine the feeling of knowing that the person who gave you life chose to be absent from yours.

For some children, the connection with their missing parent remains so elusive that even a life-altering event like their death evokes a cold, detached numbness. It's as if a mere stranger has passed away, not someone with whom they share flesh and blood.

Within this context lies an intriguing story shared on the AITA subreddit by a single dad.

Our narrator (OP) explained that years ago, he got married to the woman he believed to be his soulmate. But even before their daughter could celebrate her first birthday, the union collapsed due to his wife's infidelity.

Surprisingly, his now ex-wife decided to abandon him with their baby girl and focus her attention on living the "good life." With time, her presence in their lives was reduced to two brief encounters over the years.

One fateful day, OP received the shocking news of her passing. Her sudden death rekindled a torrent of emotions in him, but for his now teenage daughter, the event was met with an almost defiant indifference.

Regardless, OP was determined to organize a befitting funeral and say his final goodbye alongside his daughter. The subsequent trip to the funeral became a source of contention—why would she attend the funeral of a "mother" that abandoned her?

Despite her reluctance, OP managed to drag her to the funeral, but not without fracturing their relationship. Now he is seeking opinions from the Reddit community on where he went wrong.

Scroll down to find out what other Redditors had to say.

The story in detail

A little background

OP received news about the death of his ex-wife. Consequently, he reached out to a few friends and family to set up a funeral

OP's daughter refused going to the funeral. But he ended up dragging her to the service

His daughter has been mad at him ever since

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

"YTA...How can she say goodbye when they never said hello?"

"YTA...The woman who died was a stranger to her."

"YTA...You're the only parent she's ever had."

"Goodbye to what? to a mother who didn't care about her?"

"Ps its been 12 years….you need to move on."

"YTA...I would bet that your daughter likely has already mourned not having a mother."

"Her mother didn't get a chance to tell her she loved her? She had 13 years."

"You can't expect her to want to go to the funeral of a 'mother' who had no interest in her."

"YTA...It’s not a closure thing for her. She didn’t need it, like you did."

OP is really getting the heat from the Reddit community. They find it absurd that he would drag his daughter to the funeral of a "deadbeat" mom.

In addition, they have accused him of forcing his daughter to attend the funeral for his own selfish reasons. It seems he's the one who needed the closure and not the girl.

We'd love to get your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments below.

Jesse