Family gatherings can make or break ties between family members. One woman on Reddit proves this to be true.
The woman has caused trouble in the past by claiming she was forced not to invite her sister from her son’s birthday party because of her sister’s habit of shifting the focus of important events to herself and her family.
A woman has a terminally ill niece, and her sister only talks about her illness at family gatherings.
She shares her story on Reddit at r/TrueOffMyChest. subreddit The woman explained her decision not to invite her sister and asked other Redditors if she was being cruel.
Shen started the post by sharing that she was throwing a party for her son’s 7th birthday.
“We are throwing him his first big birthday party attended by both friends and family,” she wrote.
Several family members were included on the guest list: her sister, her brother-in-law, Adam, and her eight-year-old adopted niece, Evie.
Since she was a toddler, she has suffered from serious health complications and illnesses that have affected her life expectancy.
“When she was two years old, Evie was diagnosed with a series of medical conditions and health problems, some more serious than others,” the woman wrote. and has been warned that if Evie’s various health issues are not all managed, she may not live long.”
The woman said Evie’s illness was a “huge blow” to her sister, brother-in-law and the entire family.
She is aware of the difficulties her sister faces because of Evie’s health, but says this topic is something her sister often discusses with others at inappropriate times.
Other family events are overshadowed by the woman’s sister reporting Evie’s health condition.
“When my sister told me about Evie’s illness and hinted that she hadn’t been away for a while, two family weddings took over (despite repeatedly assuring the family that the situation wasn’t too bad. s),” said the woman. she wrote
Their brother was particularly troubled by the fact that his wedding was supposed to be a joyful one, but turned into a sombre occasion.’
“One moment the happy couple was the center of attention, the next people talked about how sad he was to have a terminally ill niece, and the focus shifted to them,” the woman shared. .
“She made a big deal about Evie’s health at the toast. It was like asking someone to start a crowdfunding campaign to pay for her treatment without asking for it outright. I heard it.”
The woman added that her sister brought up Evie’s illness at other weddings, birthday parties, block parties and baby showers.
“It’s a lot and every time anyone feels sad, depressed and uncomfortable,” she wrote.
“My eldest son’s party was approaching and I felt the need to prevent this.”
She asked her sister to refrain from discussing Evie’s health with the other guests at her son’s next party.
“I told her the whole party didn’t want Evie to get sick again,” she wrote.
However, the lady’s sister became defensive. “She told me that she’s not going to pretend that everything is okay when people ask, and that it’s important to let people know so they don’t try to push her too hard.
The woman felt compelled to invite her sister and family from her son’s party if she could not follow her own rules.
Her decision was one her sister took to heart.
“She accused me of not caring about Evie being ill because she was adopting and said she would understand more if Evie was my biological niece,” the woman wrote.
“She also said I was full of holes by trying to cover up the pain they felt and excluding them when they lived together every day.”
Redditors stood by the woman and understood her decision.
“She brought this up in a very inappropriate wedding toast, so she’s going to bring this up at the party. Just cancel the invite at this point,” one user commented.
“Maybe they need to grieve or do something, but looking for the spotlight behind Evie’s medical needs in every situation is too much,” another user noted. I would suggest a smaller get-together so we can work on not being the top topic of the event.”
“It’s wrong to have the time and place to discuss these things and take the joy away from others,” another user wrote. , that’s not good.”
Megan Quinn is a writer for YourTango, covering entertainment and news, self, love and relationships.
