Right now, I have to say I feel like I have the best of both worlds– I grew up as an only child, and was the center of attention until I went away to boarding school, where I quickly learned that the world does not revolve around me. Then much later in life, at age 38 I discovered that I have a a half brother in London and a step-brother right in my own backyard, here in DC!
Over the past couple of years, my brothers and I have all made huge efforts to form and maintain a strong connection. It is quite remarkable how well we get along, and I’m sure it helps that I am 10 years older than both, and not a boy. So, I finally have the siblings I’d always longed for, without the baggage– that, however, is incredilbly rare.
Almost everyone else I know has some sort of issues with their brothers or sisters, some have worked through them, others have not. Last week, I had Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst discuss how these dynamics from the past creep up on families when the parents get sick or pass away. It is like these siblings get sucked into a time warp and revert back to the days when they were growing up, and past memories that may have been buried for years bubble to the surface.
Here is our episode, where we share tips for handling the emotions that may overwhelm you at times while dealing with the care of an elderly parent, or managing a parent’s estate after they have passed away. We also discuss the option of using a Collaborative Law approach to resolving any disputes rather than having things escalate into a nasty court battle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8c2SmztZ9o
By Regina A. DeMeo, Esq.
