Ay, my parents. Where would I even start? I have 2 siblings and we all witnessed their fighting, ultimately culminating in my father pushing my mother over a baby-gate and breaking her leg. I remember my sister reaching for the phone to call 911 and my father tearing it from the wall (this was back when people still had home phones like that).
They divorced fairly quickly after and it was hell from that point forward. My mother neglected us, my father disappeared into work and moved out of state, and my siblings and I basically had to fend for ourselves. My brother would regularly beat the hell out of me, my sister (older) did her best to try and look out for me but ended up pregnant herself at 17, which was a miracle in a sense because she was able to get out. Then it was just me, my brother and my absent mother, who has since married and divorced twice and blames me for everything that has gone wrong in her life. I can't wrap my head around why they thought to have children, why they brought us, or me, into this world. It hurts. I used to think maybe one day there would be some kind of clarity with my mother, but we are now estranged, and I had my number changed to stop her from leaving me vicious voicemails, threatening to have me arrested for crimes I've not committed.
My father, despite his insults towards me, threats, has sort of come around. He no longer drinks, and has mellowed out a lot. He's had a lot of time to reflect on the damage that's been done not only to me, but my siblings. Each one of my siblings and I have either attempted suicide or at least vocalized the desire to die. I'm the youngest of 3 and "the worst" in the sense, I fell apart. After years of dealing with the trauma and abuse through disordered eating, I finally cracked and attempted suicide at 30. I'm now 36, and while it does pain me to know I'm going out before they do (even now, I don't want to hurt them, or cause them grief...though maybe my mother will have a celebration, who knows?), I have love for my father. He lost his own father when he was 10 and never fully recovered from that, and I know deep down he probably hates the things he's said to me and my siblings.
I guess the biggest PSA here is: don't bring children into this world if you don't plan on providing them with love, safety, and guidance. No perfect parent exists but damn, don't abuse your children. I've straight up asked my father "Why did you and mom have kids if you hate us so much?! WHY?"
No answer for that. And I won't ever get an answer. I don't hate my parents, I feel sadness for them and just want to be free.