My Uncle B. and my father stopped speaking several years ago. When Mama asked Daddy to *ask* Uncle B. what was wrong and why he wasn't speaking, Daddy said, "I wouldn't give him the satisfaction." Well, Daddy could be a gruff, crusty person. :-P Anyway, the problem with all this is that Uncle B.'s wife and daughter also were not speaking to Daddy *or* Mama. And then Uncle B. died. And Aunt G. and J. (wife and daughter) continued the silent treatment. No one even knows WHY. When Aunt G. would see Mama in the grocery store in town, she'd look the other way, like Mama didn't even exist. This wasn't even between *them*. ::look of amazement:: And now that Daddy has passed on, NO one seems to know what it was even all about originally.
Such stupidity. Why waste what time there is over something that could be reconciled? Or at least brought out in the open?
For the last couple years I have sent Aunt G. and J. a Christmas card, figuring that it's important to try to re-establish some kind of communication. We don't have a huge family, so I was/am hoping that what we do have can at least get along tolerably. This past Christmas I got a Christmas card back from Aunt G. :-) Eventually I hope she will communicate with Mama. They all got along so well for years...such a shame to throw that away.