My Uncle Trashed My Self-Esteem With One Comment — I Will Never Forgive Him
This happened in 1994, and I vowed never to speak to him again.
I spent a summer with my uncle and his family. He thought he was being helpful, but his words sliced my heart and plummeted me into despair. I don't think he meant to hurt me, but he did.
My grandma raised me after being removed from her home by CPS. Grandma was a teacher, so she had summers off. In 1994, she and her new husband decided to take a vacation without me, so I went to stay with my uncle for six weeks.
My uncle, Tom, is bigger than life. He stands over 6'4 and is a heavy man. He was the associate pastor of his church. Most people in his community respect him. I did, too, until he hurt me with his words.
Tom had three daughters — Abby, Lola, and Fiona. Abby and I were very close. She was six years older than me. She was a mentor to me, and I fondly remember her. Lola, on the other hand, was her parents’ favorite and only three months older than me. Everything Lola did was praised. Fiona was three years younger than me.
In her parents’ eyes, Lola was the most beautiful person in the world. They told everyone how gorgeous and intelligent she was. I didn’t disagree exactly, but I got sick of hearing about…
