The article discusses the profound and isolating grief experienced by individuals whose parents abandon them. Unlike the universally acknowledged grief associated with a parent's death, the pain of abandonment often remains unacknowledged, leading to feelings of isolation and shame. The author reflects on their own experiences of parental abandonment, contrasting them with societal responses to grief when a parent dies, which often elicits empathy and support. This comparison highlights the stark differences in how these two forms of grief are perceived and supported in society.
Abandonment from a parent is a very isolating form of grief.
Grief over a parent's death is universally acknowledged, but grief over a parent's abandonment is not.
Survivors are often met with silence, reinforcing a sense of isolation and shame.
When my father left, I was about 21 years old—still a child in all the ways that matter.
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