DH is the eldest of 4 -2 boys followed by 2 girls and has always been a "responsible" eldest brother particularly after his parents left London and then after their death. We provided a bed for SIS in law for instance when she came out of hospital after a bad asthma attack, we hosted BIL's in laws when they visited from Brazil, we hosted Christmas with bodies(including niece from Brazil and one of her friends) in serried ranks on bedroom floors and dinner on 3 pasting tables pushed together in our sitting room as our dining table does not accommodate15!
DH picked up the tab for a huge family lunch some years ago at the National Gallery (because it was our idea) despite the fact that he had been made redundant and his 3 siblings, all professionals, were on very comfortable salaries. That one made me cross.
They always had to be included or catered for especially at Christmas and after MIL died . I should add one sister in law is a single mother, (retired doctor) one is single, still working and brother in law has married and divorced twice with a daughter each time.
He has recently returned from a professorship abroad for 30 years and is sponging on staying with one of his sisters while he (perhaps) looks for a flat to rent, his daughter has been with the same aunt for the last 2years while she does Sixth form in this country.
AIBU to feel sad but not necessarily surprised that in the two weeks he has been "home" he has not even bothered to pick up the phone to find out how DH is? (DH's illness is another issue)
And AIBU to feel a bit miffed that they have made no gesture to see us as we are on our own for Easter Sunday for the first time in at least 20 years? ( DDs invited us to lunch with them yesterday as we were in London for DH's abortive hospital procedure so I have no issue with them.)
Self pity is an unattractive emotion but having had the mantle of matriarch chief cook and bottlewasher and purveyor of festive meals thrust on me, does nobody feel inclined to say "poor old maw and paw B, maybe we could pop in on them/ send them some flowers/an Easter card"
And I am CROSS that BIL is just so self centred that he can't be bothered to think of anyone but himself. In his place I know DH would be different.
Or is it just siblings?
