Dear GhanWeb: I destroyed my relationship with my daughter, now I need a second chance

Dear GhanaWeb, I am a 48-year-old father of three, and the greatest regret of my life is losing my eldest daughter. She is now 21 years old, and for the past three years, she has refused to speak to me or return home. She left to live with her mother's sister and has never looked back. I still send money through her aunt to support her, even though she made it clear before leaving that she never wanted anything from me. She probably doesn't even know the money comes from me. The truth is that I know why she left. After my wife died eight years ago, I made choices that no father should ever make. Instead of protecting my daughter, I violated her trust and caused her pain. I don't know if I was possessed, but I started forcing my daughter to sleep with me. She fought me from the beginning until she got used to it and didn't fight anymore. It continued and even got worse. She was unhappy. She fought me at first, cried, begged me to stop, and later became so determined to defend herself that she resisted with everything she had. Instead of recognizing the harm I was causing, I convinced myself that things would somehow get better. They never did. When she entered S.H.S, she grew tougher within a few months. She resumed fighting, this time even with weapons. I should have stopped at that time, knowing she didn't like it, but I started sedating her, sometimes with sleeping tablets. Eventually, she found the strength to leave before I came home one day. Since then, she has cut all contact with me. The last time I tried to reach her, she warned me that if I kept insisting, she would tell everyone why she left. I live with guilt every single day. I know I cannot erase what I did, and I understand why she wants nothing to do with me. Still, she is my daughter. I wish I could ask for her forgiveness and somehow rebuild even the smallest part of the relationship I destroyed. I am ashamed of my actions and regret them deeply, but I also know that regret cannot undo the damage I caused. Should I respect her decision to stay away from me, or should I try harder so she can forgive me? What do I do now? FG/EB Two rescued, one in critical condition after building collapse at Avenor Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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