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Old 12-30-2015, 10:55 AM
  # 7 (permalink)  
thotful
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 350
6 brothers, 1 sister, alcoholic father and possibly several siblings - I've been sober for several years now.

Cut out 2 brothers and their wives from my life.

I went (quite reluctantly) to a couple get-togethers that included them. A sunday dinner at my mother's, my niece's 21st bday party, an xmas party at another brother's - each time, I just didn't feel good being in the same space as them.

An additional sibling decided that he would only spend time with me and not my wife. And he complained that my boundary of "this is a package deal with wife and I" hurt our relationship. He is on extremely limited contact, going on no contact.

My mother seems to be going the same direction. She doesn't respond to e-mails, texts, or invites to see her. Didn't get our daughter a gift for her birth - no attendance at our "baby coming soon dinner", no response to our request for completing the Grandparent section of our baby-book, etc. She hasn't seen our daughter yet (almost 3 months old). We want her in our life, but it seems that she's upset. I no longer attend anything she sets up if my estranged siblings will be present. I think she feels hurt by that. That I'm rejecting the "family" with my behavior. I see things differently.

So, yes, I see a falling out occurring with several family members due to my choice of no contact. I don't think I have any fun when I go for the sake of the "other non-estranged" people. Plus, why would someone that loves me want me to be around someone that has hurt me? For me to be in a space where I am treated unfairly? not as an equal? Note that I have several other siblings that have NO PROBLEM meeting my wife and I personally.

Then again, I don't know if there's anything they could do where I would all of the sudden feel comfortable being around my cut-off siblings.

I'm still working through this too. The latest "event" is my mother and father's 50th wedding anniversary. It's likely I won't attend, but I may get my mother and father a gift and maybe write them a nice letter.

Perhaps there is no one right answer with this. You will need to figure out what works best for you. And you have a right to change your mind. Nothing has to be set in stone. You will know over time what's hurting you, what's working, what's not.

Figuring this kind of thing out feels extremely difficult and confusing.

Wishing you well and my heart goes out to you.
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