Ageing parents & guilt
I feel like an absolutely terrible person for saying what I'm going to say, but I know this is a safe space where we can be honest... Without going into all the details, my family raised me the way they thought best and provided for my physical needs, however, they have never been emotionally available or supportive. As an adult, there was a time when they abandoned me completely for a few years over a disagreement about beliefs, and they have not been there during the most challenging times in my life. We get along on the surface now and play nice, but as my parents age it feels like any time I visit I'm just there to do things for them. They're dealing with difficult issues themselves, and I have zero interest or energy in being there for them because it will be one-sided and draining. At this point, all the help I give is out of guilt. It is so hard to know where to draw my boundaries with them because I feel like I want to make them extreme and minimise my contact with them. Can anyone relate?