What the true tragedy is the facade that my family puts on pretending to care about others

    

this is what he looks like on the inside

When I decided on a whim to visit my family, I had planned to ask them the same questions I'd posed by text. Instead, I inquired if they knew the woman who had recently suffered two traumatic incidents - as she attends my grandmother's Tuesday church group meetings. Their lack of empathy was truly heartbreaking. They simply responded with an indifferent "oh" or "yes, I know who she is," and nothing more. I don't believe they're capable of genuine emotion towards others.

My middle aunt was the only one to ask a single question - whether I was working. They failed to answer how many times my grandfather had been abusive, but did mention that my parents help my grandmother. I found this odd, given that my grandmother's sister is flying in to stay with her, just so my middle aunt can get some rest. Yet, my parents sit idly by, just 50 yards away, never staying to assist. In fact, my middle aunt said she hadn't visited her home in quite some time.

When I asked my middle aunt if she recalled teaching me my ABCs as a child, the only thing she remembered was that my sister Kristen and her son struggled to learn, while I was "like a sponge." It's been nearly 2 years since any of them have called me directly, so any other information would be mere hearsay or rumors.

They showed zero interest or concern - despite having all the time in the world, as they simply sit around, reading and caring for my grandmother, while my parents remain perched atop their hill, engaged in the same monotonous routine day after day. My mother rises at 4AM, works a few hours at the store until the employees arrive, then it's off to lunch at a fast-food joint, followed by hours of television until evening. All the while, she drinks and indulges in THC gummies, just as my sister Kristen likely still does with her Suboxone. They've even gotten my daughter engaging in these habits.

They are not role models, nor are they serving the community that has supported them for so long. They are entirely self-centered, hell-bent on controlling my aunt's and my lives. They didn't even know if my youngest aunt had been getting groceries, and when I mentioned her GI issues, they couldn't have cared less. This lack of support and advocacy is a major contributor to her problems and mine.

My sister's youngest child was hyperactive as a kid, something even my youngest aunt could recall, yet they feign ignorance about the most basic details of our lives. This blog post stands as a record, to ensure everyone knows how little they care about anyone besides themselves and how much they do care about their own social standing. It's all about increasing their status, like my father thinking that simply signing checks is community service.

The truth is, the only thing he's good at is manual labor, thanks to his extensive experience in the restaurant industry. Yet, he's always insisted he makes better pizzas, despite never actually asking anyone. This inability to concede that I might excel at something more than him is a textbook sign of the grandiose type of narcissistic personality disorder. He knows he's ordinary, and it drives him to create these false narratives about his expertise, especially when it comes to religion, where he believes he's always right and everyone else is wrong.

This family is a lost cause, consumed by their own selfishness and delusions. I've laid bare the truth, and I hope anyone reading this can see them for who they truly are.