So there's been a few years and hurts over the years which I'm not going into now in detail but I'll summarise. I live the other side of the country, there's about at least a ten year age gap between me and my two older sisters. They've led very different lives, married had kids stayed local etc. Me being single for most of this time, paying other people's mortgages whilst I rent etc I've usually just bought Xmas presents for the kids. Whilst they were very little I wouldn't expect a thank you direct from them but now they are well into their teens I still get one sister to thank on their behalf. It's sad really as I'd like to chat with the kids, I do ask but it annoys me as I know our mum brought us up differently and not only had us ringing relatives at some point on the day itself but write a thank you card to.
Anyway it's the other sister that really gets to me the most. She didn't contact me at all yesterday until the afternoon and not even to wish Merry Christmas but sent over Covid Govt guidance on working during pregnancy. She knows I'm massively stressing out about my third trimester as work are not being helpful and expect me to continue working in the building as of 28 wks. It was the one day I was hoping to be distracted by the whole Covid thing and she sent me that. I'd bought presents for all her kids, nothing.....no response...she proudly always tells me she does Xmas dinner on xmas eve so Xmas day is all chilled so it's not like she was busy meal prepping etc like I was. Her kids who are also teenagers never say thank you or give any indication they've even had their damn presents. She did send me and my DH a gift, and I did WhatsApp her in the same conversation to say thank you and we promptly got a call in the evening where appreciation was reciprocated.
Both my sister's suddenly upped their communication with me during the first lockdown and then again when they found out I was pregnant and it made me feel sad because they've never made as much effort before and especially when I've really struggled being away from home over the years. The sister who WhatsApped me has visited me twice in ten years, I go home several times a year apart from this year obviously. They always say they're there for me over the phone but it's bollocks, I've tried over the years and whilst they sit down and listen and have a proper conversation with friends (witnessed on visits back home) they just crack on with whatever they're doing in the kitchen for example when I ring and they don't really "talk/listen".