Is it possible to love and really not like your parent at the same time?
Sometimes I really don’t understand myself. When visitors come my father is the life and soul of the party. He tells brilliantly funny anecdotes about himself. His laugh is so infectious that you just have to join in too. He makes sure everyone’s glass is kept topped up and comes across as a really good bloke.
I love him when he’s like that and feel so proud. But he has a much darker side I find hard to cope with. He always has to win. Even when I was small he didn’t give me a chance and his approach is the same whether we are playing a ball game, cards, or something like Monopoly.
When I do win despite trying not to he gets incredibly angry. He’ll shout at me, tell me I am useless and that there is nothing about me he is proud of. Nor does he give me a chance to justify myself.