Wasn't sure what board to post this in. Just trying to get my feelings out...

I'm estranged from my dad too, and I'm 99% certain we'll never speak or see each other again. I know I will feel this feel one day. Don't live in regret though, that shit will eat you alive. Life can be really confusing and hard sometimes. But sometimes you just gotta say "shit happens" and move on.

>>16611633

Thanks for the advice and for replying at all. I was starting to think nobody cared.

I'm sorry, OP.

>>16611033
>But I never forgot him or stopped caring about him.

I'm sure he knows that now.

>>16611730
We care, but it's an uncomfortable topic for many of us. This is my fourth draft. I am sorry for your loss.

I'm not sure I really have advice, but I can at least commiserate. I was estranged from my family for ten years. There was no real reason, at firstl I simply couldn't be bothered to keep up with the logistics of communication. Then I began to fear their judgment, because frankly, they'd have been right. And so it continued.

Eight years in, I tried to reconnect with my grandfather. I asked my father to start setting up plans (it didn't seem right to just call up my parents out of the blue and asl for a visit), and we'd set a date, but then my grandfather passed away befpre the date came. I saw most of my family for the first time since losing contact at his funeral. And even after that, I still couldn't really bring myself to face them for two more years. I only started to talk regularly with any of them earlier this year. I hurt a lot of people with what I did (or, more to the point, didn't do). But we are rebuilding. It just came too late for one of them.

I do recommend going to whatever service they are having for your father, if you can. Funerals really are for the living; it's a good opportunity to make whatever peace you can.