losing my mom was bad enough . . .

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. Why didn't they bother to take care of her? To call her? To go out of their way

for her? I don't get it. As much as it hurts you to be in the middle of this craziness, understand that you are the only one who who bothered to be there for your mom. I don't believe that children are off the hook with regard to their parents. I believe that children have an equal responsibility for one another, one to care for the child, the other to care for the elderly and helpless adult. I can't get over how many offspring I see carting off their folks to a nursing home and going off to enjoy their lives as if they were never going to be old.

They set a horrific example for their own children. Instead of being selfish (and greedy!) they should be caring toward their elderly family members, and set the tone for the up and coming generation. What kind of example is it to segregate the elderly and treat them like dogs to be taken to a pound then never bothered with again.

It's hard for you because you don't have the support of the living relatives, your brothers. Perhaps one day they will open their eyes and realize that one has to be there for parents, unless they're evil monsters, which few are, and they will reach out to you.

Until then, try not to feel bad. It wasn't you that did something wrong. It was them. And it was your mom's choice to do whatever the heck she wanted with whatever amount of money she had.