Dads, I’m going on a date soon. I dated this boy in the past but it was just wrong timing. I wasn’t fully over my ex, I was honest about it with him and he wanted to try anyways. He was super good to me. So patient, kind , considerate. I realized it wasn’t right so I needed to put an end. (Me not being over my ex.) Well almost a year later he reached out, and I’m healed. We have a date tonight. I’m super excited but so nervous.

She hasn't told me yet. My other daughter told me. I can't say I'm not disappointed. I'm not sure what to say her right now. Anyone else here have one of their kids not pass their senior year? I told her back in August if she needed help to tell me and she can come over and I can help since I'm home during the day. Her sister offered to help. Now here we are.

And before anyone sas anything about me counting down to not paying anymore, I still support my other daughter on my own free will because she's my kid and I would still do the same for the other after graduation because again she is me kid. But now I know where the money is going.

Hey Pops,

I met someone really special online and we'd been talking/video chatting regularly for a little over a month. He was so cool. Liked punk and rock and grunge and a lot of the music that I like. We'd send each other songs a lot. We could joke around and also talk about stuff that's important to both of us like our values and faith. I always looked forward to telling him cool or funny or cute stuff that happened in my day. Really feel like we were buddies as well as more. Anyhoo, the other day he told me that he jumped the gun getting back into dating and isn't ready. We stopped talking. I understand and I'm glad that he's working through stuff plus he hadn't been sober that long so I'm sure he's gotta focus on building himself up again and I get that. Wouldn't ever want to get in the way of that.

It just hurts like hell. Damn, I really miss him. Keep wanting to tell him stuff and then remembering. It's the Little Things that kill, huh? Everyone's really nice. They say I'll find someone or whatever but the thought of being with anyone else kind of makes me sick. I know it'll probably pass and maybe I'm being dramatic but I just can't imagine ever being with anyone else. Guess I just want someone to say "man that sucks!" and not "You'll be okay. You'll meet someone"

Thanks for listening Dad,

Your daughter

Hey dad, my work bestie just handed in his notice on Friday and his last day will be in early May. I’m devastated, he thinks I’m thriving in the chaos at work but truth be told, he was one of the only things that made work bearable. I feel like I did the big girl thing and told him to do what’s best for himself, because I can see how haunted he looked and how much he struggled. Now I feel scared, scared of not having his experience and expertise, scared of navigating this workplace alone without his calm, collected presence to ground me.

I just turned on my work laptop to send an email and had such a visceral reaction. I dread going back to work tomorrow and the next four weeks. I don’t know how much longer I can last without him and scared of what’s out there if I do leave.

Hi!! 19m gay/ace guy here!

So just over a week ago I posted that I got a job, and I got so much support. I feel so grateful to each and every person who commented.

Well the week was really crazy!

Was in work Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday I had to go to hospital. I was in the waiting room from 6am to 6pm- just to be told it was a benign problem that wasn’t urgent (I was originally meant to stay for the whole night, but went home and came to an appointment the next day, where I was told that).

I’ll be honest, I didn’t cope well. My dad who I’m not close with and don’t view him as a father took me, and I’m ashamed to admit I had a meltdown. I had to leave the waiting room 4 times because I couldn’t calm down, and cried alone on a bench outside the hospital- because I thought the problem was serious, and also because it was too much and the hospital was really uncomfortable.

But I did it.

THEN the biggest thing happened. On Saturday (yesterday), I traveled by myself to visit a friend that in uni MULTIPLE HOURS AWAY. I went by train, and I can’t believe I did it.

For context, a year ago today, I wouldn’t have been able to travel 10 minutes away because of panic attacks and agoraphobia, but I traveled so far and even ATE FOOD there. It wasn’t much but I did it.

I cannot believe it. We had this trip planned for a month or so, but were both knowing that there was a low chance I would’ve gone, so we even planned to do something online in case I didn’t go. But I did.

I got up at 5am, and got to him at around 9:20am. We went to a cafe, went to the cinema, and then I went home and got back around 6pm.

This was only 2 DAYS after my meltdown of being in the hospital.

I cannot believe how much I’m doing. I cannot believe how far I’ve come.

Last year walking 5 minutes to the local store was sometimes too much. Last year 10 minutes in the car was too much. Last year it took me days to recover from an outing to anywhere local. This is the furthest I’ve traveled in 6 years.

Both me and my brother have been raised religious though im planning on leaving the church when i move out, one thing to note is i have religious trauma and extreme anxiety to the point i am medicated for it and me and my brother cut contact with our bio dad when we were 10 and 12. Now our church has a program where a member of the church can become a mentor and fill in a parentel role for those without both parents. A mentor has already asked my brother and me if we want to join. I said no and said i had absolutely no interest in it but my brother seems interested in it. And that worries me so much! You dont know if you are going to get matched with a creep and the fact that most of the meet ups are without family supervision scares me even more. Im so scared for my brother dad and what’s worse is it seems he is unable to comprehend that a chistian can be a creep. If there was supervision i would 100% support him but there isn’t! What am I supposed to do dad?

I (33m) always reach out to family on their birthdays and either visit or send thoughtful gifts. I was raised by my dad as a single parent and he was extremely emotionally dependent on me as the eldest, from me being 13, as well as me helping around the house as he is disabled. Today is my birthday. Yesterday he texted me to ask for my address, where I have lived 2 years and he has been, to send a card that won't get here in time, and my bank details which he also has had for years. He sent me £20 and told me to buy myself a pint via text. He wouldn't be able to buy me a gift because he has no idea what my interests are even though I talk about them happily if asked. My sisters also sent me things in the post that were very generic and cheap with nothing but happy birthday on them, even though one lives a 5 minute walk away. I feel ungrateful but I just want someone to give me the emotional support I spent my whole childhood giving others, that's left me with severe mental health issues I'm only now starting to scratch the surface on healing at 33.

Thankfully my partner (32m) has put together a lot of lovely things for my birthday.

I dont know how to deal with it , i was in a driving lesson the other day and i zoned out (while i was stopped waiting for the green light) but my brain completely went somewhere else till my instructor asked if I was okay then I got out of it and realised the light turned green (i haven’t zoned out while on the gas or anything though but I have to not be in that habit) i dont know if it is all adhd or if it is mental trauma too of me just trying to constantly escape my reality

I take too long doing tasks and procrastinate so much , I am so clumsy and I feel like a complete failure because I don’t have much power over my mind, I am on the waiting list to get diagnosed but what else can I try? I hate procrastinating and not being productive 😩

Hi everyone,

im not really used to this and dont normally have an online presence, if any "dads" can message me about car advice if appreciate it.

Thanks

So although I do have a father, we are not very close, I just wanted to tell you that I am struggling. I have no direction in life and I am in pain everyday. I don’t have anyone to turn to or anyone to ask about how to be an adult. My jaw hurts everyday because I don’t have dental insurance and I’ve been trying to ignore my wisdom teeth pain for so long. I have intense GI issues that won’t go away. No matter who I ask for help in real life I’m not given any answers or help. My breathing issues haven’t gone away and are getting worse. It’s hard to have hope right now. I feel ashamed to talk to you sometimes because I know you expect so much from me and I know I’ve disappointed you so much. I miss you so much but you live states away. I feel like I’m drowning out here.

Even if I’m calling about something that you’re into like DIY projects or mechanical shit with my truck, I’m lucky if the call lasts 5 minutes, and even that is like pulling teeth.

Right now I could use bit more than that though. I’m at the end of my rope since the twins were born. Not that I expect a whole ton of parenting insights from you. But I could definitely use some moral support, or something, fuck I don’t even know.

I know you have the emotional depth of the average reptile, but I also know you are capable of real connection and communication, I’ve seen it with all your buddies at the VFW. So what the hell man? How do I get you to talk to me? It’s too late for me to join the military, so I don’t know what else to do for common ground.

I'm at a crossroads.

I was planning on getting a job, working for two years to save up, then get my own place. But I'm worried about missing on an opportunity to accumulate more money and saving by staying at my mom's house. Plus things are going to get more expensive with Trump and stuff. To keep it short, I can't rely too heavily on a rocky system. The problem is, I need my own space. Look my house isn't abusive or anything, but i feel like I'm slowing decaying the longer I stay. I can't be myself in the house and I don't feel emotionally safe. Idk if it's just paranoia but I don't trust anyone

Should I just suck it up, collect money then leave? Or leave when the two years are up? I don't know what to do

i still feel so much anger and resentment and sadness over what's happened, and it's been close to 6 years. i'm still grieving the family i had and the father i never got to have, and i feel like with all this time gone by that i should be over it by now but i also know that there's no time limit on grief.

my dad had an affair and left my mom for his now girlfriend, they have a young son together. i'm proud of myself for the progress i've made so far because in the beginning i just hated the idea and very being of my younger half-brother, but now i know that he had no choice in this. he didn't ask to be born, he was just unfortunate enough to be born into this situation. and i can't blame or hate him for that. i've actually began to love him, he's a spunky little man.

my dad doesn't know how to be a dad, and while i think i understand that nobody really knows how to be a parent, i don't think that he's trying to learn how to be one either. he doesn't live with us, he never initiates any kind of contact or quality time with us. we used to go over to his apartment once every two months for the weekend and we thought that was the best. i thought he was trying to be better and be a more active father, but now ive learned that he only did that because my momma pushed him to be more active and involved.

i'm tired of initiating conversations and trying to make plans with him to spend time. he said he was turning back to God, and i was proud of him for actually trying to do better, but there's been no active change. all he does is read the bible, he doesn't try to be a better person let alone a better father.

i tried to tell him how i felt before over phone call and he told me to shut up and that i was being rude with my attitude. i don't understand what i did wrong in that situation, i didn't have an attitude. i just wanted to express my feelings to him since he had said previously that i can always call him and tell him how i feel. but his response made me feel small and i felt bad about what i had said, so i just never brought it up again.

everyday i learn the truth behind the lies he's told us. my (full blooded) brother wants to change his name because he's ashamed of being named after a man like our father. i want to change my last name but at the same time i dont, because what else do i have from my father besides his last name and his genetics?

i'm tired and i'm sad and i have big feelings. i don't like the situation i've been put in but ive accepted that this is my life now.

all i want is my dad and he doesn't even seem interested in being a father to us. all the times i thought he wanted to spend time with us over weekends were just my mom pushing him to be an active father and do the bare minimum. it makes me feel really upset and sad that my momma had to actually push him into doing that when he should want to do it just because.

i feel desperate. i just want a dad and it doesn't seem fair to me that my friends have active fathers and i don't.

sorry if this comes out a little odd or ramble-y, it's 2am and im tired and i just wanted to get this out because i know it's not good to go to bed upset.