top of page


Get to Know Us
Nelson and Crystal McDaniel have been married for 25 years and face the challenge of being estranged from their daughter Rachel after a strained conversation that Crystal had with her in September of 2023. This event has propelled them on a spiritual journey of walking closer to God, leaning on their faith in Jesus, and using therapeutic tools to heal and grow. Despite the challenges they face, Nelson and Crystal remain committed to their family and their faith.


Estrangement Grief: When Grief Comes to Visit and God Asks Us to Say Yes
A contemplative woman sits alone beside a peaceful lake at sunrise, reflecting on grief, healing, and faith during a season of adult child estrangement. Warm golden light fills the scene, symbolizing God's comfort and hope in the midst of estrangement grief and family estrangement. Featured scriptures include Matthew 5:4, Isaiah 53:3, and 2 Corinthians 1:20, reminding estranged parents that Christ is acquainted with grief and that all of God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen." T
Crystal McDaniel
Jun 36 min read


Estrangement: Time Passes So Quickly
Time passes so quickly. One day you are standing in the middle of heartbreak, barely able to breathe through the shock of estrangement… and then suddenly, you look up and entire seasons have passed. Life keeps moving. The sun keeps rising. The world keeps turning. And somehow, in the middle of the grief, the silence, the prayers, the tears, and the longing… God keeps working. So much has happened. And through it all, one truth continues to remain unwavering in my life: God i
Crystal McDaniel
May 204 min read


Estrangement and the Heart’s Tug-of-War: How to Feel Without Falling Apart
Two People Pull a rope in the opposite direction. A Tug-O-War Being estranged from my adult child has created a pain unlike anything...
Crystal McDaniel
Jul 10, 20255 min read


Estrangement and Resilience: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go to ItalyBlog Post:
Estrangement is a word that carries so much weight, yet often floats around in whispers. For many of us, it’s a quiet grief we carry in...
Crystal McDaniel
Jun 18, 20253 min read


🕊️ What Estrangement Feels Like: It’s Not Just "Empty Nest"
Empty bird's nest with a "Vacant" note, symbolizing an open house in nature. I think people try to relate by comparing estrangement to...
Crystal McDaniel
Jun 11, 20254 min read


What I Wish Others Understood About Estrangement: The Pain, the Healing, and the Reality Behind Closed Doors
Estrangement...Blue Closed Doors, Surrounded by a marble arch. It looks like doors to an inner fortress. Estrangement is one of those...
Crystal McDaniel
Jun 9, 20254 min read


🌗 Estrangement Has Two Sides: Holding Space for the Unseen Story
This book is excellent, and gives a different perspective from someone who was parentally estranged. This is the front cover of the book...
Crystal McDaniel
Jun 3, 20255 min read


✨ Parental Estrangement Through a Faith Lens: Why I Started the Strangely Estranged Blog to Heal After Losing Connection With Our Adult Daughter
Estrangement...Feels like the sun is setting on your heart, and will never rise again. I never imagined I’d be writing about estrangement...
Crystal McDaniel
May 25, 20255 min read


Estrangement & the Question We’re Afraid to Ask: Is It OK Not to Like My Estranged Daughter?
This is image is the perfect description of what I go through during this estrangement. By Crystal McDaniel | Strangely Estranged ...
Crystal McDaniel
May 22, 20254 min read


Is Estrangement the New Freedom for Adult Children? (Or is it the New Exile and Form of Grief for the Parents)?
Causes of Estrangement There is a, " New Silent Epidemic ," going on in our culture today. It is called Estrangement . In our case, it...
Crystal McDaniel
Apr 17, 20256 min read


Letting Go and Finding Peace And Forgiveness During Estrangement
Parenting comes with many unexpected challenges, but nothing quite prepares you for the pain of estrangement from your own child....
Crystal McDaniel
Apr 2, 20253 min read


Coping with Estrangement: Healing from Unrecognized Grief
I never imagined I would find myself here—mourning the living. Estrangement is a grief unlike any other, a silent ache that the world...
Crystal McDaniel
Apr 1, 20253 min read
bottom of page