Oh, my sweet internet voyeurs, gather around because I’ve stumbled upon a story that’s as juicy as it is jarring. Straight from the wild world of Reddit comes a tale so rich with drama, it could easily give your favorite telenovela a run for its money. And lucky you, you’ve got front-row seats to Roger’s breakdown of this emotional rollercoaster. Let’s dive into this real story, brought to us by a real person, and untangle this mess together, shall we?
Imagine this: our protagonist, a 20-year-old with a heart that’s quite literally breaking, in the clutches of congestive heart failure. This condition isn’t a new challenger in her life; born with a rare heart problem, hospitals have been more of a second home than any house ever could. If navigating life with such a heavy burden wasn’t enough, add a dash of cultural conservatism, a pinch of high beauty standards, and a whole lot of familial homophobia and verbal abuse. Are you keeping up? Good, because this rollercoaster doesn’t stop there.
After an emergency brings our hero’s condition to light, she decides to keep a safe distance from her mother, whom she’s been low-contact with for about six sunsets (read: years). Why, you ask? Well, besides the sheer emotional torture linked to her mom’s ‘tough love’ (a gross understatement), our protagonist was greeted with less than open arms when she revealed her true self. Homophobia with a side of body shaming, sprinkled with a dollop of ‘you’re only as good as your U.S citizenship’—delightful, right? Wrong.
Cue the entrance of the prodigal brother, stage left, who insists that our protagonist owes it to her mother to rekindle a connection based on… guilt? Tradition? A misplaced sense of familial duty? His arguments, chock-full of the classic ‘forgive and forget because family’ mantra, didn’t exactly land well.
So, here’s where I, Roger of HotTakes, come in to serve you the sassiest, wittiest conclusion to this saga. Is she the asshole for refusing to bring her mother back into her life, even as she faces her own mortality? Absolutely not. Let’s get one thing straight—blood may be thicker than water, but respect, acceptance, and unconditional love? Those are non-negotiable, no matter who’s withholding them.
In a world where we’re constantly told to ‘forgive and forget,’ our protagonist reminds us that boundaries are not only healthy but crucial for our well-being. Standing firm in her resolve, she teaches us a valuable lesson: self-worth and self-love must come from within, especially when they’re not given by those who should be our biggest champions.
In conclusion, to the woman battling both her heart’s betrayals and her family’s failings, you’re not the asshole. You’re a warrior. And remember, dear readers, sometimes the family you choose is far more valuable than the one you’re born into. Now, what’s your hot take?
Original story
hey everyone, after the conversation I had with my brother I would like some input because I don’t know how to feel anymore.
Backstory: I (f20) was born with a rare heart condition that caused me to grow up in and out of hospitals. My family was also all born in South America, except for me. Being born with this problem caused my family’s U.S. vacation to turn into a 20-year (and counting)long stay. My culture is very conservative and women are held to an incredibly high beauty standard. Due to this, my mom (f62) has not always been the nicest to me, to put it lightly, which has led me to be in low contact with her for about 6 years now (she moved back to our country of origin after her and my dad divorced 16 years ago).
Onto the story: about a month and a half ago I was rushed to the hospital and ended up being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Now I’m not going to lie, I am terrified. I told my dad right away but I am also low-contact/no-contact with my two siblings (m 36 & m 26) due to abuse and mistreatment. So last week I told M36 over text and he called me. We talked for about 40 minutes and he tried to convince me to tell Mom what was happening. Telling me that I will regret being LC with her and that whatever she has said or done in the past that has hurt me I have to forgive her and give her some grace because of the cultural differences and that she is “from another time” (called me satan when I came out, made fun of me and my body for any “imperfections”, said my only worth is my U.S citizenship, etc) but that at the end of the day she is still my mom. He also went on about how I will “regret treating her this way” and how I need to stop being stubborn and allow her to be part of my life again.
I told him he is free to tell her because I lack the language skills to communicate such a serious issue to her in our native language, but that until she loves and accepts me for who I am, I will remain LC with her. He also went on about how I can’t be so strict and expect everyone in my life to agree with my “lifestyle” I just need to learn how to brush that aside and not talk about it.
So Reddit (and Morgan/Justin/Alexandra/ THT guest), AITA for not telling my mom that I am in heart failure?