Rebecca Meyer
Family dynamics can be complex. Parents have different, unique relationships with each of their children, and each child grows up having different lived experiences with their parents.
This 58-year-old woman has two children: Elizabeth, 28, and Michael, 26.
“Sadly, Michael was diagnosed with autism when he was just 2. He is pretty easy to get along with and is a lovely person overall. He throws tantrums or acts really stubborn just occasionally,” she said.
When Elizabeth graduated high school at 18, she moved away to attend college. Elizabeth keeps in touch with her family through phone calls, and she visits sometimes.
However, her visits have become less frequent over the years, and she hasn’t visited her family since last Christmas.
Last week, Elizabeth called and asked if she could visit for several days, and the family was really excited.
“However, she said she would be staying at a hotel and would only like to see my husband and me at a restaurant outside. I was heartbroken that she didn’t want to include Michael. I asked her to please visit us at home so she could see her brother as well. She was not having it,” she shared.
Then, she asked Elizabeth why she didn’t want to see Michael.
“She said she wanted a peaceful evening with her parents. I told her she needed to see her brother, too, since we’re all a family and we need to stick together. Elizabeth told me to never mind, that she wasn’t coming and that she made a mistake,” she explained.
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