My mother has a birthday coming up. She is in her late 90s with very little mobility and sight, so we are visiting her in her small sheltered flat, rather than my older brother's house nearby.
I am my.mother's least favourite child. She never intervened to protect me from my late father's violence and expresses no interest in my life She only really engages with me to ask about my husband and adult daughter. At the moment I ring her once a week, ask her how she is and listen to her.
I have recently been involved in some quite long and high profile employment litigation. She has never asked me anything about the case. Both my brothers expressed interest and sympathy and made contributions to the crowdfunder. My mother who is wealthy, ignored suggestions from my older brother that she might do the same.
Meanwhile my daughter has decided that I was completely wrong to have engaged in this legal battle, which was significant for others working in the sector. (The lawyers thought otherwise. I received an apology, a settlement and much sympathy from the wider public.)
In order to demonstrate her disapproval.my daughter no longer visits me and ignored my own recent birthday.
The prospect of being in the same small room as them both for several hours is making me feel sick.
Going for a walk and/or leaving early are both options. Repeating the mantra, 'This too will pass' under my breath a lot is another...