Family Feuding

September 28, 2011; By: Audrey Miller
All About Estates

I was interviewed this week for a segment on Family Feuding on the Voice of America, Family Caregivers Unite program. A serious topic and one that cannot easily be resolved. This interview comes at an interesting time of year, a time of reflection and of hope and a time for repentance and forgiveness. Feuding in families is an all too familiar theme. I experience it with the families with whom I work and as well with the families that are near and dear to me. Siblings that no longer speak to one another, children who are estranged from their parents; family factions that may go back for generations and yet the reasons are not usually very clear or often remembered. Family caregivers can have their own resentments. The roles that we held as children often re- emerge as we get older:- the bossy sibling who is in charge, the care free youngest child who may not have had the responsibilities that others held,. Jealousies and hurt feelings can remain. In addition, these new responsibilities when caring for a family member can also create resentments and feelings of guilt or anger.

Lesson Learnt: I have learned that life is short and regardless of the baggage that we may choose to hold on to, there is a time when we have to try and rise above it. Providing care to a loved one might very well be that time. Families may need help to move forward and coming together in order to provide the best possible care of a parent is a good place to start. My next blog will look at some of the practical strategies available.

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