Amber Portwood.Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Amber Portwoodcontinues to make strides in mending her relationship with her daughter, Leah.
“I brought James [Amber’s 3-year-old son with ex Andrew Glennon] over to Gary [Shirley]’s house so my visit was off camera since we can’t film with him,” Amber said. “It was the first time around Leah since giving her space. I loved seeing her and her brother together again. This has been really hard for both of us, and I want to build our relationship back.”
During last week’s episode, Amber wrote an emotional letter to Leah, begging for forgiveness for all of her shortcomings.
“To my beautiful daughter,” Amber said in the video, while fighting through tears. “I’m so proud of the young lady you’ve become. I know I’ve missed some very important times in your life. Times that a mother should not miss, while I was still trying to understand my own life. I am so sorry for the things I did that kept us apart. I never ever wanted to hurt you. I think about you every day. I will never stop trying to mend our relationship no matter what it takes. I will always love you. You are my heart no matter what.”
Amber Portwood/Instagram
While Leah wasn’t exactly sure how to respond after hearing Amber’s letter, her dad Gary (Amber’s ex) encouraged her to give her mom a chance.
During a phone conversation with her mom, Amber explained how the visit went.
“I felt fine,” she said. “I think with Leah, it was a little awkward for her with me being there. I think with time it’ll be a little better. I tried to explain to her, ‘I’ve been there before, but today my mom is my best friend.’ "
“I was like, ‘You can hate me right now,’ " she added. “I told her that’s okay. I told her I understand. She tried to say certain things, like once again how I wasn’t there for 12 years. I told her, ‘There’s no excuse for anything, and I still love you and think about you all the time.’ "
“I think if we stay on track, it’ll be fine,” Amber concluded.
“What she said about me was very hurtful,” Amber told her mom.
Having a FaceTime session with her doctor, Amber said she had been having a “rough week.”
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“I can’t take away my past,” said Amber, who has struggled with substance abuse and mental illness since Leah’s birth. “I wouldn’t be alive if I didn’t make such decisions, and Leah hates me for it. I can’t fault her for that. I just want her to love me again. I just want her to understand that everything I did was to be alive for her. It wasn’t for anything else. If I wouldn’t have went away …. I hate my f—ing mental illnesses. I’m just going to keep trying and reaching and praying.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
