Dear Savvy Auntie,
I am divorced from my family. They are pretty dysfunctional, to put things nicely, and I have always been the spirited one who would stand up to whomever was being mean or hurtful. I am also the only one who went out into the world and built something on my own. These characteristics, it seems, are threatening to them. And for years, I would do anything I could just for my family to like me. But, nothing was ever good enough. Because I am not married, I am certainly seen as less than. I have a demanding career, but have also suffered back-to-back layoffs over the last two and a half years. My "inability to have a job" is just another source of amusement for my family.
The last time I saw my family, my sister-in-law attacked me because I was encouraging my then 14-year-old nephew to not only apply to local schools, but reach to for his dream colleges as well. This caused an ugly event and was the last straw for me. I just realized, they don't like me, don't appreciate me, and I am not going back home. Do you have any answers or suggestions on how to deal with my family situation?
Divorced Auntie