estranged

My sister is an emotionally unsafe person for me to be around. (Artwork: Tess Emily Rodriguez)

Ask Erin: My Sister Is Abusive & I'm Terrified Of Her

I'm afraid of her. I'm a successful, educated woman with a wonderful marriage and a great career. And I'm afraid of my abusive sister.

Read...
Reconciliation after a huge family fallout can be hard on everyone.

Ask Erin: Help! My Dad Hates Me Because I Couldn't Pay My Student Loans

She’s made all the mistakes, so you don’t have to… Ask Erin is a weekly advice column, in which Erin answers your burning questions about anything at all.

Read...
The room smelled like gefilte fish, and it reminded me of the synagogues I studied in for hours on Sabbath afternoons to please my father.

Long Reads: Out Of The Picture 

A man faces his estranged father and the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community he had left behind years ago.

Read...
Holidays without your mother are hard.

Surviving The Holidays When You’re Estranged From Your Mother

It’s been three years since I divorced my mother. The reasons are long and complicated, yet also short and simple. My mother is not capable of mothering anyone, and I am healthier and happier without her.

Read...
Holidays without your mother are hard.

Surviving The Holidays When You’re Estranged From Your Mother

It’s been three years since I divorced my mother. The reasons are long and complicated, yet also short and simple. My mother is not capable of mothering anyone, and I am healthier and happier without her.

Read...
Still trying to heal from a difficult childhood and toxic parenting... Image: tranmautritam/Unsplash.

Why I Don't Find Sh*tty Mom Funny

[CN: Toxic parents] I am a big fan of inappropriate humor (especially when said humor is tinged with sarcasm), and I’m an even bigger fan of using comedy to deal with life’s ugliness. But when the humor is at the expense of someone unknowing and innocent, like a child, I no longer consider it funny.

Read...