Hey Schmo!
Some Schmo wrote:Are you not going to answer this question, Ceeboo?
Sorry, I thought that I answered your question. (I think my age is starting to impact my consciousness)
What hangs in the balance is a variety of things (many of which are very important to most people). As I see it, when there is an estrangement between a parent and a grown/adult child, this has direct impact and difficult consequences on many more people within the family than just the parent/adult child.
The grandchildren - The spouse of the adult child - the spouse of the parent - The children themselves - etc.
It forces everyone to choose a side. It creates resentment. It brings forth turmoil and pain. It results in the children loosing their grandparents. It results in the parents loosing their children. It results in the adult child loosing their parent/parents. It creates an entire mess for all parties - many of them becoming collateral damage.
In my mind, a consideration to patch things up should be highly encouraged. None of us get to choose our family - but the members that are in out family, are indeed ours and I believe that the adults in these families should make the every effort (and concessions if need be) to create peace for the sake of everyone in said family.
Lastly, should a family not patch things up within their family, there will come a day when certain people will no longer be with us (nobody knows when this day will come for any of us) and then it will no longer be possible to do this (or reach out in an attempt to do this) because the window will have been closed forever. The heavy weight of guilt, often times (not always) will then be born and placed upon those who will have to carry that baggage with them along their journey.
You're right when you said that life is too short. But in my mind, that's precisely why we should try to repair/reconcile things with our families.
Peace,
Ceeboo
