Next month I’m getting married to the man of my dreams and until last week I couldn’t wait. I felt so excited but then my Mum dropped a bombshell. She said she won’t come to the wedding if my Dad and stepmother are coming. She says I have to choose between her or my Dad. She’s angry and bitter and now I feel like she’s ruining my wedding, which should be the best day of my life.
Anonymous
Answer
Anger and bitterness can be incredibly destructive. If we allow ourselves to dwell on negative thoughts and beliefs they can cloud our judgment and adversely change our behaviour. They can also ruin our relationships.
When faced with manipulative behaviour we can try talking and sometimes this will help. If talking is unsuccessful though the only thing we can do is to process our feelings and move forward. Confiding in someone we trust is a good place to start; bottling up our feelings is never good. Then we can try to move forward, acknowledging that we feel hurt and sad but refusing to allow ourselves to dwell on the situation. Instead we can think about all the loving, supportive family and friends in our lives and be thankful. We can be mindful of all the good things we have in the present time and to look forward to in the future. To a certain extent make our own happiness.