Ah, we don't get to choose our families of origin.

I have a brother who - well - either has a mood disorder or really does go through cycles of extreme dislike of me and anything to do with my life. He's the kind of person who complains to code enforcement about his neighbors because they make noise in their pool in the summer. He said on his last visit, in front of my daughter, that well educated and affluent people usually don't have children. (He doesn't, I do.)

Mom asked me to try to mend fences and I tried and it didn't work and oh well. Mom, I tried. Really. Aargh, ack, blech.

So many things are out of our control.