I totally get where you're coming from, Scapedaughter. I am an only child and have a similar dynamic with my family. I haven't seen my mother in years (she abandoned me when I was young), I don't have any relationship with my father (I didn't meet him until adulthood). My aunt and I were very close but unfortunately, as it stands, we are not speaking and I don't see reconciliation in the future. I feel that my family has let me down, essentially since I was a child, and as an adult I've continued to compromise more and more of my security and what I need from them because I felt I had to just accept that they weren't ever going to change and that I needed to find my own happiness (which is all still true). Earlier this year something in me just snapped, and I was finally like no, I'm done. You can accept your family for who they are and accept that you have to make your own happiness and etc, but you don't have to continue to accept situations which make you hurt. I'm not saying that just because a family is dysfunctional people should abandon ship. But for me, the ship sunk years ago and I'd been paddling my little dinghy around in circles hoping to save everyone. And they just keep trying to tip me over. Anyway. What I'm saying there comes a time when you have to consider your own well being. It isn't selfish. And I think your response was reasonable.