In 2022 I was in a car accident. My mother decided to play the victim and shun me for months after, and now seems to have forgotten it ever happened. Before the accident my car broke down and needed a new transmission. Me, not having enough money to get a new car decided I would just have it fixed. So I had literally picked up my car at 11am, handed over $4,000 and crashed it not an hour later. I was a wreck and my car was clearly totaled.
My dad picks me up, we get home and he tells my mother that I crashed the car and he shows her a picture. Keep in mind the tow truck driver had looked at the car, at me, and said “You should really go to the hospital”. My mother proceeds to ask me if they ever fixed the tires… on my car that is now clearly totaled. I am literally crying my eyes out and I just couldn’t with her. I shrugged her off and went to my room and locked the door.
My mother knocks. At this point I was starting to feel the pain, my chest had been hit hard by the airbag and I didn’t feel like getting up again to let my mother in. “You know, I can just let myself in :D.” She says. I could hear her trying to get the key to the door, it’s kept above the door frame "for safety". I get up and let her in and she starts sobbing and telling me that she just saw I was so upset so she thought to change the subject. Then she tells me that I am the reason our relationship is so bad because I don’t want to talk to her. (There are many things I could say about my mother here but I’ll say she would tell me as a child that I was adopted because I was the only one with red hair. Also she threw a chair at me in 6th grade over a bag of apples)
My dad took me to the doctors the next morning to get checked out, get x-rays ..etc. My mother on the other hand never offered to help me in any way. After the accident my mother wouldn’t even look at me or talk to me. She was just angry. She would either eat her dinner quickly before I came downstairs or wait till I was done. She was clearly avoiding me and mad at me and I also didn’t want to deal with her. She was trying to play the victim in the house, what an awful daughter I am to make my mother so upset. She shunned me for months until one day she decided it had been long enough for us to “forget” and move on.
Every so often my dad would come up to my room, tell me how my mothers so upset, or that I should go down and talk to her. I never went to talk to her. For the next couple years every now and then she would try to get me to talk to her via my dad or sister. There was one time that she did try on her own. I was caught off guard because I literally just threw up, had half my clothes on and my mother just burst through my door. Then she asked if we could talk… “Not now” I said. She got flustered and started sobbing and yelled at me “We’re never going to talk!” and slammed my door shut. I feel like if there was a time to talk and make up that was it. She hasn’t reached out again since.
Are you writing this because your gut is telling you that you should reach out to her? Otherwise, if you feel so wronged by her, and you don’t want her in your life, you can make that decision for yourself and move on.
But based on what info you have provided, it sounds like it could be a miscommunication that has gone on too long. It sounds like she has tried to reach out and you are the one who isn’t interested. So yes, the ball is in your court. The next step is yours to take, if you are ready for it.
Besides that one time, she herself has not reached out. She has complained to my sister and dad about me and they have told me and said i need to talk to her. Is that considered reaching out? My thinking has been if she actually wanted to make up she would attempt to talk to me herself.
INFO: Do you all still live in the same house?
I moved out less than a year ago
I dont understand the link between the crash and your mothers behaviour. It seems there is a lot going on here, and perhaps more than just thebsituation with the car.
Can you give a bit more detail on the history with your mum as well as ages and circumstances (do u work, live at home, study etc.) Just so i can underatand the picture a bit more.
The bit yoi have written doea sound like she is certainly manipulative and perhaps needa to be the center of attention, and is angered when not in the lime light.
FWIW. i walked away from my family some 15 yrs ago. Best thing I ever did. So i know where u r coming from.
I dont live at home anymore, however i did when this happened. Our relationship was getting rockier and rockier and then this happened.
You still haven’t really explained the original conflict. Why was she mad at you about the crash in the first place? Why were you mad at her about it? You cite the crash as the real inciting incident of the whole falling out, but don’t provide enough details to understand why either of you is upset with the other in the first place. So what actually happened there?
for thanksgiving one year she got covid, didnt quarantine, got half the family sick. She was literally making the food when I (not sick) came for dinner. She said i could go quarantine in my room if i want.
Am I correct in assuming this is just an example of her pattern of behavior? There is no effort to communicate until something bad happens to you (car accident, sickness, etc.) and she suddenly feels the need to “talk it out”?
If so, NTA. This sounds exhausting and I can completely understand not wanting someone like this in your life.
If you do want to reconnect with your mom it looks like you are going to have to be the one to do it (because her timing is questionable at best). Literally just go up to her on a Tuesday and start a conversation about something random. If she can’t keep up with that conversation – you have your answer. She’s doing this on purpose – she needs to be the hero or the victim. There is no place for her as a supporting character in your life and you are better off without her influence.
“There is no effort to communicate until something bad happens to you” that sounds about right. My car wouldn’t start one morning and i had to ask her to take her car and she took that and ran. she started pointing and blubbering about how i don’t take care of myself and how im too skinny. (which is interesting because she would do the opposite in high school, telling me i gained weight)
Were you seriously injured in the crash?
we (my dad and I) were concerned that i broke my collarbone. I did not. so aside from bruising from the seat belt and airbags, I was fine. I couldnt lift much, especially past my hips for a while though.
Oh, wow. I’m sorry you had to endure that nonsense from your parents.
Nothing endears people like kicking off some stupid drama when someone clearly needs medical attention.
If your mother wanted to be a decent person she could have reached out, but nope.
It looks like your mother was never interested in making up; people don’t play the victim and manipulate their loved ones like that and then just suddenly change.
Trying to make up would have just kicked the vicious circle into gear for another round.
It’s quite typical of someone who behaves like your mother has done consistently and over time to lay any and all guilt for any non contact period or lack of closeness off on the person they’re abusing; this is her guilt trip, not yours.
You’ve been conditioned to deal with her nonsense for a long time, and that’s probably why you feel bad for this. You not reaching out is fine and dandy in this case.
NTA.