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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Things I will never understand

This has little to do with infertility or PCOS, but it's something that bothers me almost weekly.

My family history is confusing at best, and just generally messed up. I have an older half sister, and a younger half brother. We all share the same father, and they share the same mother. My father was having an ongoing affair with their mother while he was married to my mom. My sister is a mere 4 months older than me. My brother is 2.5 years younger than me.

When my sister and I were 5 years old, her mother decided that she didn't want my father around the two of them, and I didn't see her or my brother for a very long time. This was very hard because my sister and I were VERY close, since we were so close in age. My brother was pretty young however, and to this day doesn't remember me at all.

When I was a teenager, my sister and I reconnected and have had a unique relationship since then. She and my brother were adopted when she was 8, and she and my brother do not care to have any type of relationship with my father. I understand that, because although I love my father, it was a sticky situation. But I am still their sister. I am blood. And I have been very grateful to have a relationship with my sister, albeit unusual since we are very different people now.

But my brother has no desire to have anything to do with me or to even KNOW me.

I can't comprehend this. In fact, it kills me. This is my baby brother. I remember him as a baby. I remember loving on him and giving him kisses and just being protective of him. And he doesn't want to know me.

About 6 months ago I ran into him and his older sister (not my sister, but an additional sibling that I am still in contact with- I told you it was a crazy story!) and he didn't recognize me at all. After the encounter I contacted the sister and told her that I understand that he doesn't want to know me, but I wanted him to know that my door was always open and I would love to get to know him.

And nothing. When I talked to my sister months later I learned a bit more but the bottom line is my brother has no desire to know me at all.

I have tried to come to terms with this but I just can't get over it. I happen to think I'm pretty awesome. And I know he doesn't remember me, but shouldn't he want to know ME just by the simple fact that we share DNA?

I have a bad habit of watching the show "The Locator". It's a great show, and I often enjoy watching them. But occasionally the stories revolve around siblings. And in tonight's episode, it's a younger brother crying because he wants to know his sister.

And I get upset. Because I can't understand. I want to know WHY. I don't want to push him, because that obviously won't accomplish anything. But I would like to know what about the thought of knowing me is so horrible. I don't intend to push my father on him, as I have proved in my relationship with my sister. And even though he hates my father- I have NOTHING to do with what happened back then. I was just a kid too. I was caught in the middle too.

I so desperately want to get to know my baby brother, and he doesn't want to know me. That's the bottom line. Maybe one day he will change his mind, but I can't count on that. So I just keep trying to deal with it, and occasionally feel the need to cry and rant about it. Because family is all that matters to me. And I just can't wrap my brain around not wanting to get to know a member of my family.

2 comments:

  1. I wonder if your brother is just hurt... you know the saying, " hurt people---hurt other people"... It may be his way of dealing with the past and the jealousy and all the bad memories. You have done everything that you know to do and it seems that you have the purest, fullest heart of love but your brother can't receive it because of his own anger about the whole situation.

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  2. You sound like you have the best of intentions and your brother just can't get over the past. I'll pray for you two that you can find your way to each other. We all need family. Sending you *hugs*

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