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AIBU?

WIBU to air my dirty laundry on FB, just this once?

103 replies

Jolleigh · 05/04/2014 20:32

Over a decade ago, when I was in my early teens, I stayed with an aunty for a while because my uncle and parents were in Spain caring for my nana who'd fallen ill with cancer while we were on holiday over there. During this time, aunty was looking after her own 3 children plus me, alone, and took us for a long scenic walk to try to keep us occupied. While on said walk, aunty and I had an accident and fell rather clumsily part way down a hill.

Aunty's reaction, rather than checking I was ok, was to start screaming at me at the bottom, under the impression I pushed her. She then stormed off and left me there, bruised, bleeding and not knowing the way back to the car.

I called my mum distraught at the time while I was finding my way back, though it was more for comfort than anything - I knew she couldn't really help. Back at the house when things had calmed down, both my uncle and my mum spoke to me on the phone several times saying they knew it was an accident but sometimes people need to apologise to keep the peace. Circumstances being what they were, I tried several times to clear the air. The apologies were thrown back in my face every time, right up until the attempt the evening before my mum came to collect me.

I was never left in my aunt's care again. Because they live half the country away, this meant I only saw that half of the family when they came to us.

Fast forward to present day. There are several people with long standing issues against this aunt, all separate from my own issue. My mum though has recently chosen to try to bury the hatchet to help her relationship with her brother and they've added each other on Facebook.

There were several of us chatting about a photo of us all as children which my mum had posted to sort of dedicate to me in a way (I'll be giving birth very soon as I'm 10 days overdue). The aunt has 'misunderstood' an in-joke (easy for her to do really as there were quite a few of us there who'd cut ties with her at one time or other) and made an almighty leap...

She asked if we were all talking about the time I pushed her down a hill.

I am so extremely sorely tempted to give my tuppence worth now that I'm older, no longer in such delicate family circumstances and don't have to blindy do as I'm told. I've never once aired drama on Facebook but I'd love to tell her how any normal person would have shown concern for the child after such an accident rather than react the way she did.

It really isn't worth the drama, is it?

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allalongthewatchtower · 05/04/2014 21:19

For me, it's not the backlash that I'd be caring about.

It's the public airing, I don't know how many people the OP has on facebook, but I have people I forget are there. Other Mums from the playground I know to say hi to but don't know me THAT well.

I just wouldn't want an argument or a horrible representation on there of me.

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TeaAndALemonTart · 05/04/2014 21:20

You need to reply now with just one word.

Pussy.

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MostWicked · 05/04/2014 21:22

My reply would be
Ha ha, that's funny! I thought you were drunk!

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Nomama · 05/04/2014 21:24

Could you find it in your heart to take that as an olive branch?


(Me either, but it might take the fnaaaaaaaargh out of the whole thing)

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Mouthfulofquiz · 05/04/2014 21:28

I'd say something on there because I wouldn't be able to resist!! YWNBU to put the truth out there!
Then unfriend her or make sure she can't see your profile and photos and leave it at that.

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notoneforselfies · 05/04/2014 21:33

TeaAndALemonTart GrinGrinGrin

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thenightsky · 05/04/2014 21:34

she sounds awful Sad

But I do feel she should be called on this lie.

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Abbierhodes · 05/04/2014 21:36

Ooooh! I have an Aunt like her and that's a frustrating reply!!!

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Jolleigh · 05/04/2014 21:36

She's not really the kind of person to do olive branches nomama. To be honest, even if she was, there's no love lost between us so an olive branch wouldn't really provoke any kind of real reconciliation.

Her response is more likely to have come from a need for self preservation...not all my family are quite so private and she's not known me through adulthood.

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pluCaChange · 05/04/2014 21:37

Hah! She backed down! Grin You're not such a vulnerable individual now, are you?!

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TheScience · 05/04/2014 21:44

Yep she's backed down and is currently desperately hoping you will leave it at that Grin

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StrawberryMojito · 05/04/2014 21:45

The thing is, as much as you obviously state it was an accident, she quite clearly she feels that you pushed her. Cross words on FB aren't going to change that.
If you care about her opinion of you,give it to her in person or at least over the phone. Otherwise , let it go.

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thenightsky · 05/04/2014 21:46

I'd be tempted to push her a bit on this... So come on auntie, why do you really think I'd push you down a hill FFS? I was x years old FFS. Who was the immature one, leaving someone hurt and bleeding with no transport home?

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Oldraver · 05/04/2014 21:50

I think your reply brilliant, it shows you wont kowtow to her. I would block her from seeing anything I post or any pictures

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Jolleigh · 05/04/2014 21:51

Funny how you can still be seething after a person has backed off, isn't it? I no longer feel quite such an urge to paste her poor behaviour over FB but rather am having words with myself about just how unhinged I'd have to be to drive 200+ miles while humongously pregnant with the sole intention of frog marching her up a hill so I could push her down it Grin

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softlysoftly · 05/04/2014 21:58

Now defriend her and anyone else who is her friend so that you can have your Facebook free of her for baby pictures etc.

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Oldandcobwebby · 05/04/2014 22:01

What Softlysoftly said. Absolutely.

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Quinteszilla · 05/04/2014 22:09

She replied "lets not" to taking it in private, so it seems to me she wants it taken publicly... Confused

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Jolleigh · 05/04/2014 22:09

I don't have her as a friend, my mum does and the comments were on my mum's post rather than mine. I can't unfriend my mum really Confused

I am going to check my privacy settings to make sure she can't see too much of my page though.

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Aventurine · 05/04/2014 22:12

Well done OP. You have let her know you are no longer a kid that she can bully but a strong, grown woman. I'd not reply now

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ashtrayheart · 05/04/2014 22:23

Block her now, job done.

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BumPotato · 05/04/2014 22:24

Block her.

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tanukiton · 05/04/2014 22:25

I would have a word with your mum too and explain settings for photos. If your mum uploads photos of your new baby, your aunt could see them and comment. Not sure how well your mum can use FB but I would go through her settings for her.

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tanukiton · 05/04/2014 22:26

You could practice with a nice picture of jack and jill.... :)

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Shonajoy · 05/04/2014 22:30

Be totally polite and say something like "what a ridiculous thing to think, why on earth would I have done that?!" And then carry on chatting x

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