Sister In Law

[den]

On Saturday Mum went to soccer to watch the kids of my brother's SO play, and she met my Sisterinlaw (married to another brother), who was there with my nephew.

Today Mum got this letter in the mail

"Dear R.

I thank you for your politeness and niceness on Saturday. I wish you well on your journey and hope things go well for you and the family. I am happy for you that you are enjoying E. and her children and you are happy. Enjoy what you have. Please leave me alone. My relationship with you has only ever been stressful. I love my life now. A."

The stress A. mentions is, to my mind, all imagined and one-way and comes from a small list of minor incidents that date back 10 years. There is so much more I could say but won't. I used to visit them at least once a month, but haven't done so for nearly 3 years. I see my brother and the kids occasionally, but I've spoken to her twice in that time.

Comments

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

I discovered last year that I was on the SIL's shit-list, too. 7 years ago I'd taken time off work to help them move furniture, but after 2 hours I said I had to go back to the office and left, despite the SIL "begging" me to stay. She seems to be of the opinion that working for the family company was a hobby of mine, and not a real job.

One of my uncles calls it the "Only Child Syndrome" and says his first wife was the same. They appear to be willing to let just *one* more person into their life (plus the resulting children) and want no contact with their spouse's family at all.