
I started playing an online game 6 years ago. Within playing the game the first two months, I encountered the most arrogant, know it all pissant of a man! He was rude, he made me feel stupid in the chatroom, he made fun of me, and was generally unpleasant to be around. Months passed where we would annoy and poke at each other.
After a few months, and a few wars, it became clear to me why I disliked him so much. It was because I was attracted to him. After two to three years, we grew to become friends and get to know eachother via conversations shared almost everyday. We began to look forward to our conversations – bringing with us tales of our day, teasing and especially good wishes. What grew to be like, became a lasting love. And for the past two years we have looked at each other with very different eyes. But there’s one problem.
When he visited me, I introduced him as a friend to my mother. When pressed, I told her I had met him through school. It was the only thing I could think of at the time that would let her accept him. She already thought I was addicted to the internet – when in truth, the internet had provided me with so many friends! Including the man I know is the one for me.
Lately, he and I have been discussing how much longer we can realistically keep the truth from my family. His family knows, and that is hard enough to admit to my mother and sisters. There is just so much that they’ve pressed into me that is wrong in my eyes. I wasn’t allowed to date in high school, they constantly joke about never being aunts and grandmother, boys are stupid and men are dumb. Yet I know they need to know that I met him online, if I am every going to be able to bring my family into the life I want to build with him.
My fears? They will disown me, throw me out, never speak to me again, hate me forever, prevent me from contacting him. Break my heart a thousand times over.
So my question is this. Parents, grandparents, anybody: If I’ve been lying to my mother about my one true love for years, if I’ve hidden the fact I met him online, that I want to be with him the rest of my life, and that he isn’t going anywhere…..how do I tell her? How do I tell her without destroying everything I’ve lied to protect?
I am 22 and he is 27 (this year)