How I Feel About Receiving a Sweet Message From My Estranged, Narcissistic Father

Yesterday, I received an email from my father.

I know most of my family estrangement writings have focused on my Mother, but that’s mostly because I’ve been estranged from my Father for much longer, and the wounds I have from my Dad are not as fresh.

I have also had a more distanced relationship with my Dad throughout my entire life. While my father has made a huge impact on my life, his parenting has mostly happened at arm’s length. Therefore, my relationship with my Father has carried less emotional complexity than that with my Mom.

Being that I hadn’t spoken with my Dad in a few years, and I thought he had given up on contacting me, I was surprised to see a message from him in my inbox—and a sweet-talking one, at that. I’d like to share what memories, thoughts and feelings his message brought up for me, and how I’d like to move forward.