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covid holiday stress.
Dec. 28th, 2020 10:20 amstill kinda spun out about my brother. haven't read his reply yet, looks like he sent something. sigh.
just thinking too about how unclear his thinking is. there were so many years that he didn't go to the Rodways for Christmas eve at all, he was invited and just didn't feel like it. It's only been recently that he's reconnected with them, well after I did, I started going again consistently after mom went into assisted living and I got into the sister 12-step program for families of alcoholics ten years ago, and now he's acting like this is the way it's always been, and how dare I "break tradition" (since when have we ever been a traditional family, btw?), just because he has decided that this year, it was the most important thing ever.
I think a lot of this has to do with covid, and people's need to shun those who are on the other side of taking precautions or not. They've refused to go along with health and safety guidelines, and so they subconsciously have to demonize anyone who does. Because they are right and we are wrong. Because of old unhealthy black and white thinking, and the need to have an "us" and a "them."
It's really sad.
I bet counselors are super busy right now.
Edit: finally opened his reply, and he just says we have to meet face to face because he doesn't understand. What I get from this is that he didn't read it. It was a long email, and he has ADD. He sent the reply from his iphone, so. yeah. I will wait for him to suggest a time to get together, I'm not interested in reaching out if he can't bother to read the email. At the very least, he could apologize for accusing me of breaking tradition by not attending a dinner that I wasn't even invited to.
just thinking too about how unclear his thinking is. there were so many years that he didn't go to the Rodways for Christmas eve at all, he was invited and just didn't feel like it. It's only been recently that he's reconnected with them, well after I did, I started going again consistently after mom went into assisted living and I got into the sister 12-step program for families of alcoholics ten years ago, and now he's acting like this is the way it's always been, and how dare I "break tradition" (since when have we ever been a traditional family, btw?), just because he has decided that this year, it was the most important thing ever.
I think a lot of this has to do with covid, and people's need to shun those who are on the other side of taking precautions or not. They've refused to go along with health and safety guidelines, and so they subconsciously have to demonize anyone who does. Because they are right and we are wrong. Because of old unhealthy black and white thinking, and the need to have an "us" and a "them."
It's really sad.
I bet counselors are super busy right now.
Edit: finally opened his reply, and he just says we have to meet face to face because he doesn't understand. What I get from this is that he didn't read it. It was a long email, and he has ADD. He sent the reply from his iphone, so. yeah. I will wait for him to suggest a time to get together, I'm not interested in reaching out if he can't bother to read the email. At the very least, he could apologize for accusing me of breaking tradition by not attending a dinner that I wasn't even invited to.
