Dear Prudence,
Six months ago I was able to get out of a yearlong, emotionally abusive relationship with “Katie.” It was my first relationship at 21 years old, and I was very naïve, which kept me in the relationship for a long time. I’ve been getting to know a friend of mine, “Jessica,” better in the months since, and we’ve started dating long distance while I’ve been spending the semester abroad. I consulted my close friends and sisters before making the decision to date again, and they support our relationship.
I would love to tell my mother about Jessica since she is so much better for me than my last girlfriend. But my mother did not support my last relationship. In hindsight, I understand why, but I was stubborn and didn’t listen. She disliked Katie for some valid reasons and some not-so-valid (she had dated more than I had, was not of my Christian denomination, etc.). Since she did not like Katie when they met, she was very cold and often ignored Katie and tried to freeze her out. I do not want my mother to have the same reaction to Jessica. How do I tell my mother about her? Or should I not tell her anything at all?