Reply To: problems with family member

Hi, LW! I’m sorry about the loss of your dog. Pets are family, so I’m sure it was devastating. This is advice coming from someone who recently blocked her sister on her phone, so I’m not sure I’m qualified to be giving advice on this kind of stuff, but:

If you’re hurt your sister didn’t reach out to you, you can say so directly. It sounds like she has a lot going on right now — she’s pregnant! — and maybe didn’t realize just how much you are struggling. Have you ever tried to have a calm conversation with her about the “constant let downs”? If not, I say try to hear her out first!

That said, maybe you have tried, but didn’t mention it in your letter, and you’re not sisters who are going to be close. It’s okay to have boundaries and you get to choose what those look like. You may want to consider your new niece or nephew when deciding what those boundaries look like, IMO, but I don’t think you’re inherently unreasonable if you and your sister aren’t or cannot be close.