“The older my daughters get, the more indifferent they become...

“The older my daughters get, the more indifferent they become towards me. They don’t call me. They don’t come see me. They don’t do anything unless I try. I left the house when the oldest was six. I found a new partner. Their mother was very angry so she restricted my visits. Now they are teenagers and they seem so distant from me. I have nobody in my life right now. I have nobody to share things with, so I’d really like a relationship with them. But nothing seems to work. I pick them up from school. I speak to them every day. I try to take them to my apartment a couple times each week. But even if they are physically with me, it’s like they aren’t there. They don’t even say ‘I love you.’ It hurts. I guess they are still angry that I left. Maybe one day they will have their own relationships. And if they fail, they’ll learn that everything can’t be perfect.”

(Santiago, Chile)