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Wisdom From A Grandmother
What I’ve Learned About Relationships That Might Save Yours
Estrangement happens often, and it is never easy
As a grandmother, I am a reluctant witness to the relationship issues that trouble my family members — with friends and with each other. I wish my family would listen to my seventy-five years of personal and professional wisdom about this, but maybe you can hear me.
Conflicts arise in every relationship. Conflicts are a part of caring for another person. They can be resolved.
As a therapist, I spent years helping people connect with estranged children, parents, siblings, and friends. It was always a tricky business and not easily achieved. But the heartbreak that separation from someone you love causes is surely worth making a serious effort to correct the problem. It is especially hard for families because when one person is missing, their absence affects the whole.
In general, family members can act shitty to each other, especially when they are close. You may have a habit of making fun of each other, hurting one another physically or emotionally, stealing boyfriends, or one-upping each other. Many ways of relating are abusive.
