For Rose 76:

I empathize with your situation with your sister. At least you were able to call her, and express how you were feeling. That took some strength, and I admire you for it.

It seems you don't have any illusions about her. I am so sorry you are having to be on the receiving end of what appears to have no logical explanation. Totally unacceptable of her.

Why, exactly, your sister would choose to basically turn her back on you at this point in life is beyond me. Especially if you were historically close. I do believe some people grow more self-absorbed as they age. I've seen it, first-hand. Their needs and wants become paramount. I think it's a kind of bulwark against everything aging often brings to us. It's like a delayed midlife crisis.

I have a troublesome sibling, but the situation is a little different. I believe she actually suffers from a narcissistic personality disorder, and has been a disappointment to me my whole life (among other things). There is no hope for me ever having a civil and supportive relationship with her. She has actually been downright cruel, a number of times in the past. I could write a short book about all the stunts she's pulled (always at my expense) over time. The pain this has caused me has been life-altering. But I am educating myself about the disorder, and have made a lot of progress...and healing, for me, has been steady, I'm happy to report.

I stumbled across two helpful articles about family relations, here: News and Information for People Over 50 | Next Avenue. I discovered a hugely helpful amount of pertinent and very well-written articles under their Mental Health topics.

It's a great place to go to find just-the-right amount of information, on all kinds of interesting and thought provoking subjects that mature adults encounter.

It is possible to recover from great pain, sorrow, and loss, inflicted by many possible causes. I am living proof of it.

Wishing you well, MG