Vent

What great weather we've had this week, not too hot, not too cold, and no rain. Too bad it can't last.

My sister has finally joined the computer age, she set herself up an email account. I received an email from her this morning, asking why I hadn't called. Easy, I've been busy.

Why is it that I'm the only one who must do all the calling and traveling concerning my family? Why is it that we're expected to spend our money, but no one else can be bothered? I'm tired of it.

I mean if I don't call, no one else calls here unless it's bad news. Every time I go back there, my mom asks me the same question and not just once, whether I've gone down the street to see my brother. She even told me that I should have been ashamed for not going to visit him when I was home a couple years ago. I finally asked her why she was so obsessed that I see him.

No one in my family came to visit us when we lived in Virginia unless we paid for it. My sister came down to "watch" the house once and put over 1000 miles on my car. My mom came, but only because Dave drove up to Pennsylvania to pick her up and then drove her back. My sister came out here last year, but only because I drove out there to pick her up and then drove her back. Okay, to be honest, I told her that I was doing so only because I knew she would back out if I didn't and I left it up to her to drive out here. She also helped to pay for gas and such.

The other sister, the eldest one and my brother never came to visit us here or in Virginia, oh and did I mention that we lived in Virginia for 12 1/2 years and here for over 14 now. Oh, but oldest sis did go down to Richmond, two hours from where we lived in Virginia to visit her sister-in-law. She and her family vacationed in Myrtle Beach, SC, but they couldn't make it to David's, our oldest, graduation that same year. She never sent a card for his or Kenneth's, his younger brother. We went to her son's the year before. When I called my brother about David's graduation because he promised that he would be there, his words to me were,"Why are you making such a big deal?" Makes a person feel real loved, I tell you. I didn't bother inviting them to Kenneth's graduation because I knew they wouldn't come. I did send out announcements though.

Oldest sis did offer to drive out here once, to drop off her son's one dog that she wanted to get rid of. I don't know if her son knew of her plan or not. I told her,"no." He ended up moving out and taking the dog with him. The dog now has an entirely new home and family, which I'm sure he loves.

I did tell my oldest sister and my mother how I felt before, but I think it fell on deaf ears for the most part. She did make the comment to other sis that she must have really opened a can of worms when I gave her a piece of my mind after she complained that Kenneth never called her "Aunt" when he had gone out to visit.
 
I don't know why I'm bringing this all up, probably because sister asked me why I hadn't called. It always brings up those memories of not being important enough, of feeling like I'm the one who has to do all the calling, of Dave and I taking the time and money to go out there to visit, but no one there can make the same effort concerning us. It is good to write it down though and get it out of my system whenever I feel like this. My family just irks the heck out of me!

Thanks for listening.