In a recent "Dear Abby" column, a reader identified as "Mr. Kalamazoo" shared his deep regret over a fractured relationship with his daughters, stemming from a divorce nearly 35 years prior. He explained that after 18 years of marriage, he left his wife due to her increasingly judgmental religious beliefs, which had led her to alienate his entire family. At the time of the divorce, their daughters were 10 and 12 years old.
Mr. Kalamazoo recounted that in the years following the divorce, he had limited contact with his daughters. He stated that he sent cards and messages, but most went unanswered. He was told the girls did not wish to see him, but he never had a direct conversation with them to confirm this. He came to believe he was a victim of parental alienation, a situation he found particularly painful given his ex-wife's professed Christian values.
"Dear Abby" columnist Jeanne Phillips, writing as Abigail Van Buren, offered sympathy for his situation. Phillips advised that in such divorce cases, seeking partial custody or court-mandated visitation rights could have made it more difficult for the other parent to sever contact. While acknowledging that "what's done is done," Phillips urged Mr. Kalamazoo to accept the past and move forward with his life. The column also touched upon related reader queries concerning social media donation requests and parental financial involvement in adult friendships, offering advice on navigating these social dynamics.