Hi...my almost 19 year old daughter has started her 1st serious relationship with a boy, and she refers to him as her boyfriend. This is all a natural evolution of her growth and journey as a young woman. She has a solid foundation as a person who has the tools to make decisions with clarity. The young man seems decent, and from what I have witnessed treats her well. But, instantly when I see anything (his shoes, backpack, etc.) I get filled with anxiety. The issue is, I am not adjusting well to this new stage of her life, and it is causing a big rift between my daughter and I well as my wife and I.. The 3 of us have had open, transparent conversations regarding this issue....while I can clearly and objectively understand this is life, and her life... I see and hear what she says, I still find I am not coping well ( I have tried counselling, I meditate, exercise, .... anything I can to try and acknowledge what I am feeling and then clear the thoughts from my mind).... It pains me, because the only thing that truly matters to me is my family! and I know that I am just pushing away my daughter and wife, because I am not being the father and husband and positive presence that they can count on. I guess I wrote this in an attempt to see if anyone else has had similar issues, and how they have gone about their respective paths to heal, to cope, to accept....etc.. thanks
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