Dear Abby shares a story of a person whose father was abusive toward them while favoring their younger sister. The father deemed the sister "too dumb" for certain expectations, showing clear favoritism. The individual endured abuse during their upbringing, which strongly affected their relationship with their father and sister.
After years of enduring abuse and favoritism, the father disowned the individual. Meanwhile, the favored sister now believes that the individual is to blame for the family's troubles. This dynamic has resulted in continued familial estrangement and emotional pain.
The narrative underlines the deep emotional scars caused by parental abuse and favoritism. The disownment and blame by the father and sister respectively exacerbate the person's trauma, highlighting the complex and painful nature of broken family relationships.
"While we were growing up, my father was abusive toward me and favored my younger sister. He said she was 'too dumb'..."
This quote emphasizes the father's harsh attitude and a clear divide between his children.
The story reflects on how favoritism combined with abuse can irreparably damage family bonds, leading to estrangement and misplaced blame within the family circle.