My mother and I used to have a great relationship when I was a child, a teenager and even as an early adult. She was always showing support and love towards me, and stood up for me on certain occasions. For the last couple of years though, she's starting to care less and less about me.

When I first moved away she would reach out with "I miss you" texts but wouldn't really try to initiate conversation by calling me. When we do see each other, she doesn't really ask about what's going on in my life, like how my job or school is going. I don't even think she remembers what I'm studying. She's always preoccupied by her phone while I'm talking and doesn't listen. It's not that she's on an important call or anything, she's just scrolling through the Outlander Fan Page on Facebook. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of a sentence she'll turn on the tv and stop paying attention. Every year at Christmas she always gets me gifts that I don't like because she just doesn't get me, and that's because she doesn't want to get to know me. However, she does like to criticize my friends, my "slutty" lifestyle (I go on a lot of dates), my cooking because I use "too many spices" (just garlic), how the ceilings in my apartment are too high (It's a loft), how my dog is too hyper, how I don't "stand up for gay rights" enough by watching every movie she recommends on coming out (I came out 12 years ago), how I'm not an intellectual because I don't watch Jeopardy (I'm in university), there's always something wrong.

All she really cares about is what that orange blob in the White House has done lately, Candy Crush, and the latest episode of Game of Thrones. I listen to her rants about Trump, but when I try to reply with my own opinion she cuts me off because she just doesn't care about what I have to say. She is 59, so maybe it's just that she's getting older, I don't know.

I know that there are people with very abusive and neglectful parents on this forum, and I realize my situation is not nearly as bad as theirs. I just wish we could connect more like we used to but she doesn't seem interested at all.