Childhood memories can shape the rest of our lives – especially when they’re traumatic.

One son struggles to reconcile with his mother after a moment of betrayal left an unforgettable mark on their relationship.

You’ll want to read on for this one.

AITA for admitting that I don’t trust my mom?

When I was a kid (I think I was 11 or 12 at the time), my parents rarely got into fights, and when they did, they were resolved within a few hours. Except one time.

He sets the scene.

I don’t know what they were arguing about, but at some point, my older sister (I am the second oldest child out of 4 total) came into my room and told me our mom was leaving and I needed to convince her not to.

It’s hard to overstate how big of an impact this had on him.

I don’t think I need to explain that, for a kid, being told your mom is leaving out of nowhere causes some panic.

I probably stood by her for 20 minutes, crying and begging her to stay while she packed a bag and ignored my presence.

Then she left. My dad went after her, but she left anyway.

Although the fight didn’t last, the incident left a long-term impact on him.

The next day she came back like nothing ever happened. No one ever talked about it. My dad and siblings acted like nothing happened, too.

I was the only one who didn’t. I didn’t talk to her for days.

Ever since then, that’s been at the back of my mind all the time.

The betrayal ended up shaping how he dealt with conflict with his mother.

Anytime I spoke to her, that thought that she could and would just up and leave without there being anything I could do was always there.

So I entirely avoided negative conversations and arguments.

A lot of the time, when she got mad at me for something, I just said nothing because, in my mind, it was better than saying what she deemed the wrong thing and having her leave.

Which negatively impacted their relationship even more.

Because of this, I haven’t been close with her. I can’t talk to her like I would with my dad.

So when it came to asking for big favors, he started looking elsewhere for help.

Now the actual situation this came up in was that I borrowed her car for a few days, and one morning it didn’t turn on.

I called my dad about it, but eventually, she found out and got upset I called Dad instead of her.

But his mother wasn’t a fan of this.

An argument ensued, which went like they usually do, until she said, “You’re my son, and it’s like you’re constantly afraid to tell me anything.”

So he lets her know what’s been on his mind.

To which I just responded that I am. I told her that I’m always thinking about that day she left.

She didn’t say anything and just left. And now that I’m writing it out, it sounds incredibly ironic.

Now the whole family stands divided.

Now my siblings and dad are saying I’m in the wrong because I shouldn’t have brought it up at all.

I know my mom thinks I’m an AH (I’m pretty sure she’s always thought that, though).

Now I’m wagering if I should’ve just kept my mouth shut to keep the peace.

AITA?

No matter how much time has passed, it’s clear the scars are still ever-present on their relationship.

Let’s see what Reddit had to say about this tough situation.

This relationship has some serious scars, ones that can only begin to be mended with honest communication.

What he went through as a child is big – and his feelings shouldn’t be minimized.

This commenter goes into more detail on what he might be experiencing.

Everyone deals with trauma differently, and no one can tell him his way of dealing with it is wrong.

Try as you might to bury the past, it always has a way of resurfacing when you least expect it.

After all, no amount of time can erase a betrayal this big.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.