My parents live in Liverpool, while Ive made my home in London.
Its been well over two decades since we last saw each other. Theyre both performerspainters by trade and sing in a folk choir, forever travelling from one event to the next. When I turned five, my grandmother became my carer. To lighten her load, she moved us in with her relatives in Kent. At first, Mum and Dad would visit us two or three times a year, but as time went on, their visits became fewer and less frequent. Eventually, their visits stopped altogether, and I stopped expecting them. Our contact slowly fizzled out completely. During my time at medical college, I married my husband in my third year.
Now, my husband and I run our own dental practice, and we earn a very comfortable living. About a year ago, my father and mother resurfaced. They began calling the clinic, as they didnt even have my mobile number. Each conversation revolved around their troubles and complaints about life.
I listened to all their grievances and replied that their present circumstances were the result of their own decisionsthat day they left me in my grandmothers care. Occasionally, my parents would send my gran a few pounds, but for the most part, she and I lived off her pension. She often reminded me of this, and I saw for myself how frugally we had to live.
I excelled at school and managed to attend university with funding. To support myself and afford clothes, I worked as a night nurse in a hospital. Now I see that I have my own life, and my parents have theirsthey must sort themselves out.
After realising I wasnt going to bail them out, my parents threatened to seek support payments. But, considering the current state of affairs between our families, I highly doubt its possible. Their threats were the final straw for me. I used to have moments of doubt, sometimes wondering if I ought to help them financially, but after that, I wanted nothing more to do with them. Am I wrong to feel this way about my parents, or am I justified in keeping my distance?
