"Sydney, now a young adult, had spent her childhood and adolescence striving to be a top athlete and stellar student. She pushed herself relentlessly, feeling as though she'd disappointed her mom when her own soccer skills didn't get her much attention, and even more so when she couldn't get into an Ivy League college."
"Imagine Sydney's surprise when, during a visit from her mom's childhood friends, she overheard them reminiscing about soccer camp and the supposed accolades from professional players. The stories, as it turned out, were completely fabricated. Sydney's mom and her friends laughed about how the professional players had ignored them as they desperately tried to get their attention."
"The foundation of Sydney's self-concept began to crack. If her mom had lied about this, what else might not be true? Seeking answers, Sydney went to her father. Despite his reluctance—he didn't want to jeopardize their recently repaired relationship after a long and difficult divorce—he decided it was important to be honest."
Sydney spent her childhood and adolescence striving to match her mother's supposedly impressive accomplishments as a soccer star and Yale graduate. She internalized feelings of failure when her own athletic and academic achievements didn't meet the high standards she believed her mother had set. During a visit from her mother's childhood friends, Sydney discovered that her mother's stories were entirely fabricated—professional soccer players had ignored them, not praised them. When Sydney confronted her mother privately, her mother avoided the conversation. This revelation shattered Sydney's self-concept and trust, prompting her to seek truth from her father about her mother's actual background and achievements.
Read at Psychology Today
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