First of all, Hadrian, it sounds like you’ve been through a lot, and your strength in navigating the challenges of single parenthood while still trying to maintain a healthy perspective on life is admirable. Your desire to share your newfound wealth with your parents in the hopes of helping them is a generous one, and it’s completely understandable that you wanted to support them. That said, the manipulation you overheard must have been incredibly painful to witness.
Your decision to withhold the money from them, though difficult, seems to have been a responsible one. You saw that their patterns of behavior hadn’t changed and that they were still trying to exploit family bonds for their own benefit, even using your son as a pawn in their scheme. The way they tried to manipulate Jason into getting you to give them money speaks volumes about their disregard for your boundaries and their unwillingness to change. It’s natural to want to help family, but it’s also important to set limits, especially when they’re not respecting you or your son.
I think you did the right thing, not just for your financial future but for Jason’s emotional well-being as well. By stepping back from enabling your parents, you’re showing your son that boundaries matter and that family should support each other out of love and respect, not manipulation. It’s a hard choice, and I’m sure it hurts to deal with the fallout, but in the long run, you’re protecting the stability and happiness you’ve worked so hard to build with Jason.
If I were in your shoes, I would’ve likely made the same choice, though I’d probably have felt the same disappointment. It’s tough when family crosses those lines, but you have to prioritize what’s best for you and your son. Keeping your family’s toxic behavior in check isn’t easy, but you’ve shown a lot of wisdom in recognizing that they need to take responsibility for their own lives.
What’s your next step going to be? Are you planning to try and mend things with your parents, or are you stepping away for good?
