Ask Amy_ My brother abused me after we had been children

Pay attention 4 min Share Touch upon this story Remark

Expensive Amy: I grew up within the ’60s in a Midwestern household the place we had been taught to repress our feelings. I used to be a delicate and artistic child, the youngest of three brothers. My mother and father had been loving however indifferent, which provided my brother (who was 2½ years older) infinite alternatives to torment me.

I moved away from our small city after highschool and have had a great life and profitable profession. Nevertheless it took a few years to beat the low vanity and a scarcity of self-confidence that I partly attribute to my brother’s abuse. I’ve since realized that my brother was depressed, and even now, a few years later, he hasn’t been in remedy or acquired medical remedy for his despair.

I’ll be seeing my brother in just a few months and am questioning whether or not I ought to inform him how I really feel? We’re each in our early 70s, and speaking about it now appears ridiculous, however on the identical time, I wonder if retaining quiet is upholding an unhealthy household custom. Ought to he be held accountable for his actions? However then once more, we’re previous, and why ought to I make a sick individual really feel worse about his personal life? Looks as if unhealthy karma.

Commercial

I typically marvel what it will have been prefer to have a supportive older brother. It could have meant a lot to me. But I’ve been in a position to change into a loving husband and father to 3 kids, certainly one of whom is severely disabled. I acknowledge that my mother and father did get some issues proper, and have forgiven my brother.

I’m in a quandary about this and am questioning what you suppose.

— Baffled in Boston

Baffled: You ask whether or not your brother must be held accountable for his actions. After all he ought to! In an ideal world, we’d all be held accountable for our actions, but I’m questioning what accountability appears prefer to you.

Your brother’s life doesn’t appear to have been significantly straightforward, whilst you have efficiently overcome the adversity offered by rising up in your family. For those who consider in karma, you would possibly view this final result as accountability — of the cosmic variety.

Commercial

You say you’ve forgiven your brother, and in that case, this could allow you to method him with compassion. It’s a well-liked understanding that bullies are generally wounded themselves. And bullying, removed from establishing safe management and energy, additionally breaks down the bully’s vanity.

When visiting along with your brother, you must try and revisit your shared previous by reminiscing about extra benign moments. You may then try to debate your personal challenges. Your brother arrived into the household earlier than you, and possibly has impressions and reminiscences which can be very completely different from yours.

Your objective shouldn’t be to make your elder brother really feel worse about his personal life, however to higher perceive your loved ones’s general dysfunctional system. I hope you possibly can depart this assembly believing that you simply’ve put a few of these inquiries to relaxation.

Commercial

Expensive Amy: A number of years in the past, my then-granddaughter (in her 20s) transitioned to a male. All of us within the household have supported him 100%. I’ve all the time been the household picture-taker.

Share this text Share

Through the years, I’ve framed many group photographs of household birthday events, reunions, seashore holidays, and many others. Am I incorrect to show these photographs that embody “he” as “she”?

Through the years, a number of family have died, and I haven’t eliminated their photos. Ought to I deal with this the identical method, or am I being (by accident) offensive? Solutions?

— No Offense Supposed

No Offense: Lifeless family aren’t obtainable to inform you how they really feel about having photographs of themselves framed and in your house. On condition that your grandson has not died, however could be very a lot dwelling his genuine life, you must ask him, particularly, how he feels about having these photographs displayed.

Commercial

I assume there isn’t any common response to this, however seeing these older photographs may very well be a troublesome set off for him. That’s why you must talk about it.

Expensive Amy: I’m the chubby grownup daughter of one other “Involved Mom.” Thanks for advising this mother to put off. I additionally eat nicely and train. My weight acquire is related to prescriptions I take for a well being situation that I’ve chosen to not share with my mother.

And the irony of it’s that I’m underneath shut medical supervision! You by no means know what another person goes by, even if you’re shut.

— Please Cease

Please Cease: It may be exceedingly difficult for fogeys to let their grownup kids … be adults.

Pay attention 4 min Share Touch upon this story Remark Expensive Amy: I grew up within the ’60s in a Midwestern household the place we had been taught to repress our feelings. I used to be a delicate and artistic child, the youngest of three brothers. My mother and father had been loving however indifferent,…