Growing up watching a parent choose their new family over you is the kind of thing that does not just go away when you become an adult.

When a young woman who shared a birthday with her stepsister spent years being sidelined by her dad in favor of his new family, she eventually stopped reaching out — and so did her siblings.

Then a birthday party invitation showed up in her texts, all the old feelings came flooding back.

Keep reading for the full story.

AIO for being mad at my dad for not caring about me or my siblings

So my dad basically chose his now wife and her daughter over his 3 kids, including me, from his past marriage with my mom.

When my mom and dad split, they both remarried — but after my dad remarried, he barely talked to all 3 of us. And when we would go over, it was like we were living in my stepmom’s world.

She gives several compelling examples.

For example, her daughter has the same birthday as me. One year, when I was around 11, they threw her a party and told everyone it was just her birthday.

I felt really sad — and that’s only one event. Imagine having to deal with this type of stuff on and on.

So finally, she decides she doesn’t want to continue to have a one-sided relationship.

Eventually I just stopped talking to them, and so did my sister.

Fast forward to now — after on-and-off contact with my dad, I’m now 21 and I only talk to him occasionally.

When she does infrequently reach out, it only brings up negative feelings.

And here we are again. Our birthday is coming up, and I get a random text from him inviting me to her birthday party.

I feel that same sad feeling.

It only makes his absence feel even more pronounced.

I obviously don’t want him to throw me a birthday party. I guess I feel sad because he couldn’t even ask me what I’m doing for my birthday — but I guess he never asks, so I should be used to it.

Oh, and by the way, my sister’s birthday is a day before mine and our stepsister’s.

So am I overreacting for feeling this way?

Complicated family dynamics are difficult to navigate, regardless of how old you are.

What did Reddit have to say?

This user wouldn’t mince words.

This user doesn’t think highly of this father at all.

Her father seems to have forgotten about her, so why can’t she return the favor?

Some people just can’t change, no matter how badly you want them to.

She’s not overreacting — she’s just reacting like a human being.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.