It reminds me, how many of you are estranged from you siblings?

I haven’t talked to my brother in 4 or 5 years!

my other two brothers and i haven't spoke to our youngest brother since my mom died 6 yrs ago.

It happens.

i choose not to associate with a couple of my brothers. i have little tolerance for fools anymore. its tough to say that about a brother, but its true. i would help them if they needed it and they would help me. but we don't associate.

In the best of families.

My family is great about regular communication and getting together whenever the opportunity allows. I’m blessed with this.

Of course there are 2 exceptions. Always got a few and I have to say that those two aren’t missed at all by any of the rest of us.

talk to my 2 sisters about 3-4 times a week.
Brother and I talk occasionally, but he's not a phone guy. We're there to help each other for anything though.

I don’t talk to one of my brothers, mostly because we have nothing to talk about, and I would feel the need to kick his ass and straighten him out. Not much different with my sister.

Too much technology and money greed.

I think I've talked to my dad once in the last 15yrs or so, at one sisters wedding. I haven't talked to either one of my sisters in over a year. I'm perfectly fine with that.

You can choose friends, you can't choose your family. But you can choose not to let family ruin you. Sometimes it's best not to talk to certain people.

Being family is like death.

Neither one changes an ass. Hole into a good person.

It is what it is.

My older sister and i have not talked since my father's cancer problem a dozen years or so.

She voted for Bill C.because she thought he was good looking.

My younger sister is ok as well as my 2 brothers.

There’s family members who’s company one can only tolerate in small doses, but that’s a far cry from being out of touch.

I guess I'm lucky I get along great with all of mine. When my father died 3 years ago we met at his house divided whet needed to be done and still remain close to this day. My wife's family is going to be a battle which I will gladly stay out of since their will be millions involved.

Get involved.
Grins

Hell no It's gonna be ugly

Not close to my fam, siblings, parents or my own kids.
Raised to be independent, self sufficient, did same for mine.
My ol lady and kids could move out tomorrow and I'd be fine with it.

Just want peace and quiet.
Hell I drove myself to the ER last week and was gonna call a cab to pick me up after surgery.
But the witch showed up and one of the kids brought my Jeep back.

My sisters and I are very tight. Being the oldest of our clan, I am thinking it may be time to bring them all together for at least one gathering. There are a few hatchets that need to be buried, but I can say that between my sisters and myself there are no fractures.

My brothers and I are close, but they live quite a ways from me . We’ve always been best friends. My adult sons and I talk frequently, but again, we’re physically far apart.

I haven't talked to my Brother in 4 years either Denny. I refuse to associate with selfish self centered asswholes.

I get along with mine better before noon. The Budweiser saturation level isn't too high yet.

Talk to my Brother once or twice a week, mostly just to say hi, how are things going..

I talk with our three lovely children almost daily.

I talk with our three lovely children almost daily.

I haven't talked to my brother since 2003. His path in life is different than mine and he has issues that elude a solution.

My brother is strange. It's not that I dislike him. He's just strange.

I have one brother and we get along fine. On the other hand my wife has four brothers who we have no contact with. The fallout was over the disposition of a will. Nuff said.

Jim

Yours or theirs?

Will disputes seem common, and not just with siblings.

His.

I enjoy a drink.

He drinks.

There is quite a difference.

Where there’s a Will,









There’s heirs.

In my work I read a number of wills. Some provisions are interesting.

"To my daughter XXX I leave nothing, and I hope she burns in Hell where she belongs."

My sister and I don't talk, ever since I told her:
"When I want any of your feminazi BS I'll call."

My family puts the fun in dysfunctional. I talk with my parents at least weekly and my oldest sister maybe once a month. The other 3, Christmas and Thanksgiving are about it.

What are you trying to say Toby.

Get along with my brother and sister pretty well.

One step-sister was a hot thing growing up and that's exactly how she got everything. Was shallow as can be. Worked my step-dad, her dad with guilt and BS over the years. Have nothing to do with her because I despise shallow people.

Other step-sister is a good person. Community college teacher until retirement. Now she has absolutely gone off the rails with TDS. Easily wrote her off this summer. Won't miss her in the least.

My children call daily, grandchildren about once a week. My brother is my hunting and fishing buddy! My sisters and i talk regularly! We get together at family gatherings three or four times a year. Usually at fish camp on the coast! I believe we are lucky, we just roll with the different personalities. No real azz wipes, or drunks much nowdays! If you spend three weeks at camp, you will see lots of family! From brothers and sisters, to grand children , nieces, nephews and such! Always some one coming and going, all year!

I have a sister who I will speak with if I have to, but if I can avoid it I will. She has mental health issues.

FIXT

You are blessed mightily.

I dont think he was saying Toby.

Hahaha. God bless you. Sorry for your loss. God be with you.

I text with my siblings daily.

If one or another of us doesn't join the text stream by 0900-1000 hrs, we start asking if anyone has heard from them. I'm near 1000 miles from them, so it's nice this way. Used to try to call regularly, back when there was long distance charges and at times I was 2000-3000 miles away. Made it less likely that I'd call every week, or them call me.

I'm also in semi regular touch with some of their kids. Since I'm so far away I missed a bunch of their lives growing up. It's nice now to be a little more involved.

Women. Some curse you in the morning and love you in the evening. Some love you in the morning and curse you in the evening. Some love you in the morning sometimes and hate you in the morning sometimes. Some, well, they never love you. Whatever.

One things for certain. You're always the one who's crazy.

My two brothers, one sister and I were fortunate to grow up in loving spirit and stayed that way as our lives took us in differing directions. Although sometimes spread far apart, we made ways to be together, involved our families in doing so, and knew we had something special. One fundamental driver for all of that was our mutual deep love and respect for our parents.

I am the eldest, and my two dear brothers now have departed. My sister is the youngest and and a lovely person, and we enjoy being siblings. It was very difficult for her when she lost her sweetheart of a husband last February, but she is surrounded by loving kids and grand kids and assures me that she is fine. I do not doubt that.

Our four daughters are extremely close one to another and very much in touch with us - all of which causes strong bonds among our mutual extended family. God has been good to us.

Met my biological father for the first time in 28 years a few months back. Turns out his chosen profession (did 17 years in Fed prison) directly clashes with mine (Corrections). I’ve made it this long without him (35) I figure I can make it the rest of the way without.

I get along w my mom, dad, sis and half bro. Never liked my stepdad. He ded. Fugger.

They are all busy doing their own thing, are all well enough off they have no $ worries.
In fact, I have the most college, am the most clean cut.........and am the poorest of the group.
Funny how that happens.

DGAF

I don't bother them, they don't bother me. Not the worst of possibilities.

Now when my grandma was alive (think about her often) we had big 4th of July and Turkey day family reunions, all the aunts/uncles/cousins.
Norman Rockwell stuff.

No BS. She commanded respect and ran it like a Swiss watch.

Zero drama. Could have been, as one uncle was an azzhole, but she wouldn't allow it.

Am thankful for that upbringing, as it was the last of the good times IMHO. Just a different culture.


My ol ladys family a bunch of fuggups. Being foreigners they're just different. Thats the excuse. Nope, they are stupids and losers.
Raised to not be worth a damn at anything. Pretty damn pathetic.

I avoid them.

My sister and I have little in common, but we get together 3-4 times a year for dinner.

OTOH, my wife and I haven't seen or spoken to her brother since their mother died 5 years ago. We understand he's moving to Florida where, given his tendencies, I expect he'll end up being shot by T Lee.

One brother is my best friend and pretty much we do everything together. Then I have the other brother, he's a liberal, free loading, deadbeat that ripped me off. Honestly, I'm not sure who's going to kill who first. It's hard to believe that someone who has 4 DUI convictions and has had restraining orders against them from previous wives can legally own firearms.

Dad passed and I went back East to help clean out his shop which was a huge portion of a very large basement. I was promised his meager firearms collection for years previous to his death. No one else liked firearms. A fake break in was staged before I got there and almost all guns were gone. 1948 S&W K38 masterpiece was special to me, GONE! All handguns "stolen". A few old long guns were all I found. A 32 lemon squeezer was found in closet in a suit hanging from a shoulder rig. I know they were moved by older brother. Extensive old case jackknife collection was gone too.

When Mom passed a few years later older brother became executor of the estate. I was lead to believe that the split would be 1/3 each. He and my sister conspired to keep truth from me. Turns out townhouse was given to sister and they wouldn't tell me. Sister told my brother don't tell me as she was afraid of what I would do. HUH? that was nuts! I began looking into a piece of property near my favorite lake 150 miles away to set up a place to stay. Spent quite a bit of time looking at places and land.


The game changer for me was the DREAM of a place was killed when brother finally came clean 9 months later and that I would get a small portion of the estate. Icould care less it was the misleading and dreaming of a place that hurt not the money. I was told by him that he made an agreement with her that she would get all his possessions in exchange for her helping him when he gets old. They can have each other. It has been almost ten years. I will have nothing to do with either one.

My oldest sister stole from my grandparents, and her own parents. I haven't spoken to her since Dad passed in 2002.

Still in contact with all relatives: biological, step, and in-law.

Some I limit my family's contact with due to their dysfunction. "You need a place to stay for a bit because you are down & out? Fine, but you get drunk or high and that is your last night under my roof," sort of thing.

I tried to have a relationship with my half brother (dads side). He is just sorry though, He did 24 years in military and is broke. He moves from one relative to the other until he uses them up. He hit my mother up to cosign on him a 4200sq ft house because his real mother wouldn't do it. Things went pretty sour after that. Anyway, his wife died a couple years ago and I guess he got a pretty good pay out and we haven't seen him since. He used to love to come up with his family once a month while my parents paid for their dinners and took the grandkids out shopping. Last time I talked to him I invited him and his new wife up to go to a concert in atlanta, i drove, bought tickets, etc. He never thanked me, never hung out with me at show, never offered gas money....whatever....

I have no relationship with my father, hes a narcissist, bipolar to boot....he's living out of motels to my knowledge. He's perfect according to him and has never done anything wrong in his life. He downgrades everyone in order to build himself up. It sucks, i see posts on sites like this and have friends who have great relationships with their fathers....and I just cant have one. He'll never sit in a deerstand with his grandkids, fish, etc...but thats the way he wants it.

I’ll second that!!

And many love and share with you until the day they die.

One could assume that you are speaking from experience - will have to take your word for it. Hope it gets better.

Never experienced such with my wife, daughters and other ladies in this family. These are secure. honest, sane, balanced and loving women. I feel most fortunate.

We have a big family by today’s standards and we all get along well. Everyone of my brothers and sisters are city lovers whereas I HATE the city. I’m about as opposite as one could be with my siblings but I love them and would do anything to help them if they needed help. We don’t have to be identical in thoughts and beliefs to love each other and we’re definitely not identical in anyway shape or form.

My mom and dad always prayed that us kids would grow up to care for and love each other. Mom is gone now but she was always proud of how well her kids got along so I hope she’s smiling down on us knowing that her prayers have come true. Dad is still with us, in fact I just spoke with him. We get together for breakfast once a week and talk on the phone regularly. Dad lives with my younger brother which is a perfect situation for dad since he’s lost without mom. I’m proud of my family despite all of our imperfections and I pray that our children will carry on the love and respect for family that seems to have been lost on many. Nothing would break my heart more than knowing my children didn’t get along. I think we’ve raised them right because they are best friends that always have each other’s back.

I was blessed with a great family. Very close and loving, in the scandanavian way; never emoted much, but we knew the love was strong. I assumed every family was that way until I got older.

I was a hearing aid practitioner for twenty years and witnessed some sad situations. I usually go to know the patient's extremely well, one of the benefits of being a good listener. Some would become quite melancholy during the holidays as they were not at all close to their children. No holiday visits, even though the children were within an hour drive.

I suspect that some of them created the rifts only to regret it during their latter years.

Only got one sister. Minimal contact now because she's a democrat.

Throughout my life I have have adhered to the 1500 mile rule. It goes as this.
You must live at least 1500 from ANY blood relative....
If a blood relative moves closer than 1500 miles...you are required to move farther than 1500 miles away.

Has worker great! Will continue to distance myself accordingly.

Two sisters. One 3 1/2 hrs away. We get together two or three times a year. Wife's brother lives close to there, so we see him also. Other sister lives in Kansas. I live in SC. We get together every couple of years but email and talk often. Son and daughter from last marriage live close and see them all the time. Son and daughter from first marriage live close, but haven't see or talked to that daughter since 2003 and haven't seen or talked to that son longer than that. First wife did a job on them.

No one's disowned in my family yet, they are all pretty tight, I'm the only one who lives far away. Most all my annual vacation trips over the last 35 years have been to visit them and my parents. About fifteen years back my sister's husband left her for his pregnant girlfriend leaving her and their three kids. Best thing he ever did, it let his kids see exactly who he was, afterwards they circled around their mom like musk oxen protecting their own. I would go there in the summer specifically to take them hiking, camping and shooting, the stuff their father shoulda been doing.

Six years back I was up there for a funeral and their father's parked truck got hit by a car and totaled, the lack of concern evinced by his three by then grown children was telling.

Whelenman: Over the decades of my law enforcement career I became familiar with the incredibly high numbers of families that have "estrangements" in their clans!
Estrangements are VERY common in American families (sadly).
I feel lucky that I am on good terms with all my VarmintChildren as well as my siblings, nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts and uncles.
I was especially close with my now (recently) deceased parents. I did have one mother-in-law that was a pain in the ass but we remained civil to each other (political differences) right up until her recent passing.
Takes effort sometimes but it is worth it (IMO) to remain civil/friendly with "relatives".
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thankful I have great children, can’t imagine hard feelings with any of them!

My sister and I are working on it.

Everything is her, how it affects her, or how she thinks it should be.

Darn shame, we have been through some [bleep] together.

I'm tired of being nice to those who aren't nice to me and mine,
her loss.

Don't worry Buddy, yer a Dickweed not an asswhole..........

Just like anyone else in life, you need to rid yourself of people who will bring you or your family down. If they are a sibling, so be it.

The sooner this is learned the better.

Damn, never realized so many families are so dysfunctional. Most hillbilly families are pretty tight I guess. Not much choice, if you wanted to survive you had/have to stick together. Might be some infighting, but all it takes is an outsider to rally against to bring us all together again. You have roots that run back 300 years, continuously, in a geographical area....it tends to build tight klans.

I'm not close to any of my family, except my mom and even then she hasn't come see me since 2002 or 2003: I always go to see her. I've got a large extended family but have only met them a handful of times and don't have any of their contact info.

I've a sister who I get along with, but rarely see or talk to. Her husband and I don't see eye to eye on things. I have another sister who would be on the street if she wasn't living at home with my mom. She's almost 48, barely makes a dime and is mostly liberal to boot. If she didn't live at home I likely wouldn't have seen or talked to her in 23 years.

I've lived by myself since leaving home in 1997 and most likely always will. I'm not exactly a people person.

Dads dead
Talk via phone to mom weekly.
I have six brothers and sisters. I talk to some weekly and some just several times a year. Get along fine with all of them.

Thanks Toby! I was really worried about that!!!

Three sons. Oldest and I don’t talk. He is a deadbeat dad and generally a bleep up. He is in his mothers pocket and she has destroyed any chance of him being anything. Other two sons are fine hardworking guys. We get along well.