Dear Amy: Every year, I spend time carefully curating a list of Christmas wishes for me, my husband, and our children. But every year, we do not receive a single thing from our list. What should I do?
When it’s time for presents, my in-laws happily open the gifts for which they asked. They love them!
We spend a generous amount of money on our family at Christmas, but I’m disappointed and frustrated by their lack of consideration. I think a lot of our estrangement is based on jealousy. I believe that my brother resents my good fortune.Since retiring, I have been able to travel, do volunteer work, and make a lot of my dreams come true.I admit that I have fewer responsibilities than my brother. Not all of his dreams have come true.
I am afraid that if my brother reads those things in a letter, he will think I am rubbing salt into a wound.Should I send him a letter?Dear Estranged: If you are estranged from your brother, then why do you send him this one thing each year? Do you want to try to create something of a dialogue with him?If you simply want to remind him that you exist, and that you are enjoying your life and privileges, then you might as well send this letter.