LOL I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE SAYING THAT EITHER.

If this man complains about your hair, I'd love to hear what he says about the ridiculous middle age white lady bouffant updos you see in Texas. (Probably nothing, because he's a racist asshole.)

I'm sorry, but fuck this. I share the dislike for the kind of attitude that certain men have about tacky jewelry being a good way to attract chicks, for sure (and I'm also sympathetic to some of the aesthetic objections). But it's incredibly bad, on a more basic level, to promote these kind of limiting and repressing…

I always love these interviews. The subject is always effortlessly cool/chic/casual. They always shop at little vintage shops that you've never heard of. They always meet up at some vegan cafe / gourmet burger / fair-trade organic kale bistro for the interview.

When Vogue interviews me, they'll be all,…

With some time and therapy I've realized that the dad I loved never existed and the father that's left isn't worth the headache.

I live in the midwest now, in Cleveland. People look at me as if I've grown another head when I happen to mention that I don't speak to my Dad and don't like my mother.

Love the last sentence as I suspect most others did also. Another great quote I've stumbled across : I must become the man I wanted my father to be.

My mother has cut off contact with her mother (my grandmother) and her siblings over the last ten years or so. For a while she'd get sucked back, feeling guilty, and then get out again. There were a whole variety of reasons, and I'm not going to air them all here, but I appreciate how much she and my father shielded…

But you're *not* a somewhat neutral observer. You're a very biased observer. You've even said that you have no idea why they've chosen to do this.

"...anyway, i ask my nephews how they would feel if their daughters did to them what they're doing to their mother and for whatever reason they can't bring themselves to…

OMFG. Emotional Incest. Perfect. I used to use the phrase 'emotional tentacles' to describe when my mother would plant a seed for thought and completely unhinge me from afar. Good times.

Really? You seriously don't know what was in that email?

I think you are demonstrating a certain level of obtuseness here because you love your sister and either she has treated you differently than se has treated her children or you have forgotten because it isn't as immediate as the pain she feels for being cut out of her kids' lives. You say there was no abuse, but…

Yup. And I have sat down my father and told him exactly why dozens of times and he still claims that he has no idea why and that I've never told him (and I have me telling him and his shitty response in writing at least 3 times!)

Or the famous line, "At least you we fed/clothed/gave you shelter!"

In my experience, there is usually no defined instigated incident. There is a long series of incidents, which never amount to much taken separately. If my brothers find themselves with my mother in a room, there is a 100% chance that they will explode with anger within a couple of minutes. To a casual bystander…

I can promise you that a guilt-trip from an aunt is certainly not going to solve whatever problems exist between your sister and her sons. In fact, it will likely only cause more pain.

It doesn't even have to be as severe as abuse. I'm a pretty successful adult, if by which you mean good job, happily married, great kid, no addiction or alcoholism. But my mom's tendency to minimize anyone else's emotions and make everything about her* left me with some issues as an adult - I'm extremely sensitive to…

I was estranged from my family for a while with good reason, and it is awful the amount of people who try to get you to just forgive and make up because then everything will be honey and daffodils and love and family is so important! Fuck no. I'm really glad you have support. That is difficult as all hell, and good…

Narcissism. Yep. Oh wait, perhaps she is like my own mother and she is the narcissist. My own siblings and I cut our mother off on the day of our dad's funeral after decades of abuse by her. I know for a fact that she puts on this poor me bullshit and claims to not have any idea why we have so cruelly locked her out…

When PBS promoted this article via their Facebook page, the comments were outstanding. 98% of readers reached exactly the same conclusion: the kids aren't the narcissistic ones. Reflection is hard, lady, but a therapist can help you through it.