Losing a parent can leave a lasting effect, but how it’s handled makes all the difference.

Read how one Redditor finally speaks his truth after his father erases his mother’s memory.

When will parents of blended family’s learn?

Not today, apparently…

AITA for throwing a gift from my dad’s wife in the trash before I moved out of their house?

I (18M) moved out of my dad’s house last month, the day I turned 18.

I no longer live in the same town, and instead, I moved in with three of my friends who are starting college next month, and I’m about to start trade school.

I’m working until trade school starts to afford rent and food. The four of us are splitting the cost between us.

I did not take money from my dad.

The day I left, my dad’s wife gave me this photo album, saying it was a growing up gift.

This photo album was photos of the 7 years since she and my dad married.

I did not appreciate the gift, nor did I want it, which I told her to her face. She told me to take it, and I should have family photos when I moved out.

Before I left I threw the album into the trash.

That’s an extreme reaction, but there must be a reason.

To explain why I did this, [here’s the] background.

When I was 10, my mom died. She had an allergic reaction while we were out for a celebratory dinner for my dad, and she died on the way to the hospital.

Mom was the glue that held us together.

Wow, this is so heartbreaking. I wonder how his father handled things.

Dad and I were never very close before she died.

Six weeks later, my dad had already met his wife, and they boxed up all of my mom’s things, clothes, jewelry, photos of her, her phone, keys, anything that was just her’s, and they brought it to the dump.

I never got anything and neither did any of her family.

Who does that?! Was this woman moving in or something?

I was furious, and I will never forgive my dad for what he did.

The very next day, he moved that woman in.

They were married four months later, had a small but still an actual formal wedding. They dragged me to it and pretended everything was fine and normal.

She even gave a speech about being so excited to have a son of her own and all the “adventures we’ll have together.”

I can’t believe she used the word “son.”

When I was 12, I got copies of a couple of photos of mom from extended family and put them in my room.

Dad’s wife found the photos, and she removed them, saying I didn’t need those, and I’d bring everyone down having them in the house.

I yelled at her, cursed at her, wished her dead and erased, and my dad yelled at me for disrespecting his wife.

Whoa, what gives her the right to remove the photos off his wall?!

I told him that day I wish he’d died instead of my mom.

He told me he wished he’d let my grandparents take me after the fight they had about mom’s stuff going to the dump.

I told him I wish he had.

The seven years of living with the two of them were hell.

Ugh, I don’t blame him…

I’m so glad I’m gone.

I have no respect for either of them, and I don’t care that my dad lost someone too. He threw her away and not just from him.

After I settled in my apartment, Dad suddenly remembered my number for the first time in three years and called me out for upsetting and disrespecting his wife by throwing her gift away.

How does his dad not see where his reaction is coming from?

He told me she did it out of love. I ignored it.

She sent me a text on Dad’s phone telling me I should be surrounded by happy family memories, which was why she made the album.

I sent a photo of my room which has photos of my mom, ones I got copies of.

That was the only reply I made.

But I got several more texts, some from an unknown number after I blocked Dad saying I was acting spitefully.

This is one gift that went really wrong.

But does Reddit agree? Let’s see what they have to say.

First, a Redditor noted the odd circumstances…

Next, a commenter validated this son’s feelings.

And finally, a user wished the son a future of happiness.

This father was not there for his son, and this stepmother’s behavior is appalling.

This post actually shocked me!

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.