Family Drama

I'll be publishing this post at a later date as I don't want to create any additional drama for my mother who is just a couple days away from some quite risky heart surgery.

My niece, Aleah, has become a cancer in our family and has been using her grandmother (mom) to cause great division within the family for far too long. It's a really sick thing she's been doing and none of us can understand why.

Jackie and Jerry have done everything to reach out to her but each attempt is met with venomous responses.

The latest turmoil began with plans for a Christmas Eve get-together at our home. We're all fairly certain that this will be Mom's last Christmas with us considering her quickly deteriorating heart health and most of us are of like minds in wanting to get us all together with Mom/Grandma/Great-Grandma for Christmas this year.

I asked my brother Keith if he could host Christmas Eve at his house as I didn't think there was any chance that Aleah would come if it was at our home. The whole idea being to create an opportunity for Aleah and her family to be there. He agreed and the message was conveyed to Aleah that she would soon be receiving an invitation to Keith and Tracee's for Christmas Eve. Without hesitating, she told Tracee that she wasn't coming if her mother was going to be there. With that understanding, the plans were changed and we agreed to host the party as our house is better able to accommodate everybody.

So, yesterday I put out an invitation on Facebook to everyone but since Aleah has unfriended me (not only that but she made it so I can't even see her on Facebook) I couldn't include her but still tried to convey the message that she and her family are invited.

I mentioned to Mom that Aleah indicated to Tracee that she had no intention of attending the celebration and with that, I didn't feel compelled to send her an invitation. Mom agreed that it would be pointless. I couldn't imagine a scenario where Aleah would feel slighted for not receiving an invitation but you never want to underestimate this woman.

I stopped by Mom's this morning with coffee and the paper for her. It didn't take long for her to bring up the subject of Aleah and how I should invite her. Aleah had called her last night crying that she wasn't being invited. I couldn't believe it.

This is really a sickness and it's getting quite tiring for us all. Get some professional help, Aleah!

I'm just glad to see that others in the family are now beginning to see her for who she is and as the source of so much distress and dysfunction in our family. Jackie is not one to engage others in her family's troubles and while she sat silent and said nothing for two years, Aleah spent that time campaigning against her mother with lie upon lie. I finally convinced Jackie that she could remain silent no longer. People are finally beginning to hear her side and I'm very pleased with that.

Most people (with the exception of two in my family; Aleah and one other) are very careful to not draw Mom into the drama. But Aleah and this other person are only too ready to go running to her.

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