Dear Son,

I love you very much, but I really do not like you right now. Your recent behavior – with regards to your grandfather’s death – has really opened my eyes to how self-centered, and self-absorbed you are.

The fact that it took me 7 to 8 hours of trying to contact you the morning mom, and I discovered that he had passed away makes me angry. I left messages on your phone, your wife’s phone, your in-laws phones, and even went so far as to contact some of your Facebook friends in my efforts to let you know about your grandfather.

I am astounded that you could take the time to post a little something on Facebook about your grandfather’s death, but you have not even bothered to call and/or text your grandmother to see how she is. Your grandfather treated you more like a son than a grandson while you were growing up and I think the lack of care, concern, and compassion you have shown his wife – your grandmother; who has also treated you wonderfully your whole life – is disgusting, and disrespectful.

In the past, I allowed your bad behavior to negatively impact my mental health. I worked hard to stay connected to you – despite how much your behavior caused me pain. I was often rebuffed, disrespected, and treated poorly as a result of those efforts. I will no longer allow that to happen. As painful as it is, I am letting our relationship go.

I believe I deserve to have the right to protect myself from things/people/relationships that are detrimental to my mental health. Right now, a relationship with you is detrimental. It does not mean I do not love you, or love you any less. It just means that I love myself enough that I am willing to say good-bye to you for now, and will hope and pray that there will come a day when we can be in each other’s lives again.

Love,

Mom