It’s Mother’s Day and I (21F) have been on a silent treatment from my mom since Tuesday because of an argument.
I suppose last Sunday a cousin of ours who used to live
with us, visited our home and my teen brother and teen sister let her in. I’m not sure of the details, but I didn’t see it as a big deal that she visited. On Monday when I got off of work, I found a huge nail filing block and my mom was wondering whose it was. I mentioned it may have been my cousin’s seeing as she visited on Sunday. My mom asks “she visited?” And I said “yeah I think yesterday.” I didn’t think anything of the conversation.
Tuesday morning arrived, and my mom immediately lashed out at my teen sister over text. She would say things like my sister doesn’t respect her as a mother, why didn’t she tell her that our cousin visited, that the “bitch” (my cousin) didn’t inform our mom of her visit, etc. I got really upset, because I feel like my mom takes out a lot of frustration on my teen sister and I think it’s unfair. I immediately texted my mom asking why she’s so angry with my sister for not telling her our cousin visited, when our sister thought our cousin told her. My mom immediately sent me multiple messages, telling me to be quiet, to not speak, and that she’s not my “bitch” to go against her.
I texted her saying I won’t speak then if she’s gonna get mad. She said she doesn’t care if I speak or not, and if it doesn’t convenience me to not speak, then don’t. She said hearing me makes her stay indifferent and that’s it’s my problem if I speak or not. I went to work, came back home, and sat down to eat. She immediately lashed out on me, saying I’m not the mom of the house, asking why I get involved in matters involving my younger siblings, and why I think I’m grown enough to go against her (I’m an adult, but I try to be reasonable when I talk to her). She immediately started guilt tripping me, saying her mom passed (she did, 2 months ago) and that she’s depressed and anxious. I don’t see how that’s an excuse to say mean things to me. She said one day when she passes herself, I’ll understand. But I told her I could be the one to pass first, nobody knows.
I think I’m just very upset at the fact that I feel like I’ve been the one forced for all responsibility of things. I’m the oldest child, I always excelled in school, I went to a top tier college, I took a break to help my mom with bills, and I’m still on said break. I swore into the Navy reserves because I’m trying to help my mom become documented with PIP. But during our argument, she said she doesn’t care to be fixed, she never asked me to help her, and that she can leave whenever she wants. But the whole point of me doing this is because I felt like she greatly influenced my life and I wanted to give this opportunity to her. I went to Guatemala in February and my grandma passed 2 minutes before I arrived at her door. I know what the grief is like, I went as the eyes and ears for my mom. Yet, she uses the excuse of grieving to treat me like shit?
She told me towards the end of the argument, that she knows what she texted me & that she acknowledges it, but that won’t apologize to me. Ever. She said she’s clearly telling me she’s never going to apologize to me for anything & she laughed in my face. She also told me towards throw away whatever Mother’s Day gift I have for her. I got her a handmade crochet doll of my grandma….
I guess I’m just lost. I’m really sad because she hasn’t t spoken to me since. And I’m also angry because a few months ago she had an argument with my teen brother, and the next day apologized to him. But how come he gets an apology and I don’t? It’s not fair. She lets him go out, lets his speeding tickets be no big deal, and he’s only 17. I’m 21, and was never able to go out when I was younger & I feel like she expects me to stay home and never leave. Well, I’ve been thinking about it since Wednesday and I’m thinking of switching to active duty Navy. Not for her, but for myself, and my siblings.