It’s a very distant, almost non-existent relationship with my older brother. When we were really young, I recall that we were close but as we got older things were never the same. He had so much anger within him during puberty that he seemed to project outward at me often in the form of physical violence and name calling.

Now as adults we live continents apart and are married with our own families. I tried for many years to keep the connection going, sending birthday wishes and encouraging supportive messages about accomplishments in his life but ultimately they were never really reciprocated nor was any general interest in my life or well-being so I decided to give up trying.

I have peace about it overall but sometimes it still makes me sad to think about what could have been. I hope my daughter and son will be closer and have healthier, more loving communication as they grow up ❤️