It's been two weeks since my move. I went home this weekend to watch the dogs while my parents were out of town. My brother was there of course. It was the first time I'd seen or talked to him in two weeks. He still thinks the reason I left was because of my 120 mile commute to/from work and to save money. However, I refuse to discuss it with him... that he is the reason I left -- his abuse of alcohol and his abusive behavior.
My parents came home Sunday afternoon and I witnessed something very heartbreaking. Instead of being abusive toward me, he had turned it on my dad. My dad... the man who has done everything in his power to make us happy, make life easier. My dad would give a stranger the shirt off his back and his last dime just to ease someone else's suffering. Then there is my brother. He is mean, nasty, angry. He takes advantage of my dad and his giving nature every single day. But my dad would rather keep the peace by not saying anything, instead of confronting my brother and putting his foot down.
I know what some may be thinking... that my dad is a grown man and should stand up for himself. That my parents should kick my brother out of the house or at the very least lay down some boundaries. Well family life is more complicated than that and it's a lot easier said than done. Not really looking for any advice, just feeling very emotional this morning and wanted to share.
I'm not there anymore to be the buffer. Typically, I would have yelled at my brother for being an ***. There would have been an argument. It would have escalated to hysterical screaming. However, yesterday, I just sat there and observed and it broke my heart.