Anonymous wrote:Good for you OP! My mother knew very early in her marriage to my dad, well before they had kids, that he was never going to respect her or be kind to her. He wasn't abusive but he always chose being a dick over being kind any chance he had. She's never outright said to us that she wishes she'd left before she had kids but I'm pretty sure she does.
Instead, she stuck by him, being disrespected and generally treated like crap for 36 years, before finally telling him she'd had enough and divorcing him. A selfish part of me is glad she stayed so I could be born. Deep down, though, I wish she'd left so she could have had a chance to be happy with someone who treated her better or just by herself.
I am sorry your mother went through this. I was in a marriage with a very self centered and selfish person. I believe that to a large degree you get what you accept. That doesn't mean you can change people against their will but you can stand firm on what is and isn't acceptable behavior. If there is enough love there people will often come around. But, you can't expect to accept bad treatment for a couple of decades and then change things. Nor will you see any results if you waiver.