Family Ties

I haven't spoken to my brother since the end of December. There was some family drama that occurred when we were down in the Rio Grande Valley for our family reunion. I got mad and called him an idiot and we hadn't talked since then. Until this morning...

I sent him a valentine like I did to my two sisters. In the valentine I told him that I loved him and explained my reasoning for being upset. I just don't think that he's respectful to our family, and I don't like that. So, he called me last night and left a message on my phone. I called him back but had to leave a message because he didn't pick up. He called me this morning and we talked for an hour and fifteen minutes.

The conversation was pretty heated. A lot of things he had to say were hurtful. In the card that I sent him, I mentioned that our relationship might never be the same again. He said that it can't be the same because I blew something small way out of proportion and got the whole family involved. I told him that this was going to happen no matter what I did - it was just a matter of time. The way that I see it, this is just a bump in the road that I'm on with my family. I know that I no longer have the influence on my brother that I once had - I guess I have to let go of thinking that I might say something that he'll listen to. But that's the thing - that's what gets to me. I can't believe that someone in our family won't respect our family enough to listen or to take advice from us. Is that a power trip if I want that to happen? Maybe so, but I do think that I have his best interests in mind.

I love my brother dearly. This is really hard for me to deal with, but life will go on. We are in relationship and it will change as we change. I hope that brighter days are ahead.