"Since early childhood, she has lied and compulsively schemed to get her way. She perpetually makes bad choices. She had sex with Dina's husband; she stole some things from our mother's house the night she died; she drunk-calls people. And she has perpetrated dozens of small, vindictive tricks against Claire (for whatever reason, Claire receives most of her ire). She can be quite pleasant in small doses, mind you."
"My view, as the peacekeeping oldest, has always been more like, I just look at Bea as someone who is probably mentally or emotionally damaged. Whatever it is, I can't fix it. Therefore, I can be polite and friendly at the occasional social events we all have to attend. I don't know that freezing Bea out now after she actually told the truth for once, even by accident, is the correct move."
Each sibling has a distinct relationship with the problematic sister because of temperament and years of interaction. Repeated lies, betrayals, and vindictive behavior have caused ongoing hurt, especially toward one sister. A peacekeeping sibling may choose polite, limited contact while acknowledging an inability to fix the problematic behavior. Choosing to end a relationship with a harmful family member is a valid protective measure for those who are targeted. Family ties do not obligate emotional exposure to persistent dishonesty or abuse. Setting boundaries and accepting different responses among family members are appropriate and reasonable strategies.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]