I have a couple of family members who aren't speaking to one another. The two are sisters. In a past life I tried to smooth out the difficult family situation that led to this, but I wasn't working on a complete set of facts, so my smoothing was not only unsuccessful, but perhaps added to the problem. I don't really know. The original event that triggered everything started over 20 years ago and really doesn't involve me.
I am sticking my nose out of things. I am no longer trying to seek reconciliation. The sisters will have to work that out themselves. I have tried to make amends for whatever harm I may have caused. It is sad. The sisters live over 1000 miles apart so it isn't like they will be running into each other. It happens this weekend they will be less than 200 miles apart and still they have chosen not to see each other.
In cases like this I can't help but think of the long haul. Do these sisters think that they will never speak again? When they happen to see each other at family funerals or parties, will they avoid each other, never see each other's children? Do they plan to go through life as if their sister did not exist? Perhaps they haven't thought that far ahead.
But, if I were still in the business of giving advice, I would ask them to consider the future and whether the plan is to never acknowledge the other? They are both nice people who have families and dogs and volunteer for similar causes. It would seem to me that tey are missing out on one of the joys in life, to have a sister. But, I will put my hands in my pocket and keep my tongue in my mouth and I won't write them any letters on the subject, unless they ask......
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