A young lady listened to tales of her father through the eyes of his friends. She knew that they were talking about her father, but the person they were describing didn’t at all look or sound like the person she experienced as her father. Their relationship to him was different than hers, so they experienced and saw him differently. She didn’t recognize their description.
This can happen in an abusive relationship and make you think you are crazy! How can you have such a difficult time with this person everyone seems to enjoy so effortlessly?
You aren’t crazy! Just like people find food to taste differently – we can experience people differently. Sometimes that is by design and how the person presents themselves to others and differently to you.
It is OK if you find that you had a different experience with a person, yes, even a close person, than what other people experienced. Your experience is real and valid.
K. Stephen Life Coaching: Freedom in Crisis 