Annie's Mailbox: ; Mom Distressed Over Daughter's Choice

Summary

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Dear Annie: I was the victim of domestic violence in my eight- year marriage that ended 10 years ago. After the divorce, I went to counseling with my daughter, "Mari," who was then age 6. I learned that blaming the other parent continuously for the separation would only destroy my relationship with Mari, so for the past 10 years, I have done everything I can to encourage and sustain Mari's close relationship with her father. I never mentioned his abuse, but I know Mari remembers some of the more serious incidents.

Mari is now 16. Six months ago, my ex-husband was diagnosed with a terminal case of Hepatitis C. Prior to the diagnosis, Mari had behaved in a typical "I-hate-my-Mom" fashion for about a year, but I thought it was a passing teenage thing and we would eventually get back to our old loving relationship. But she shocked me when she abruptly moved into her father's house and now refuses to have anything to do with me.

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Annie's Mailbox: ; Mom Distressed Over Daughter's Choice

I miss her desperately, but the courts tell me that a 16-year- old has custody of herself. What is going o...

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