Cut Off After Family Demands

I grew up knowing I was never the priority in my family, as my parents devoted all their attention

to my older sister while I was mostly ignored. When I asked for a sweet sixteen

party, it became about her, and when college came,

my parents told me they couldn’t help because they were still paying for her education,

so I applied for scholarships and left home immediately after graduating. Over the years,

I worked hard, went to counseling, built a good life, bought a home, became financially

stable, and occasionally shared my experiences online. After seven years

of little contact, my mother invited me to Thanksgiving, where I found my sister still living