My mother is a toxic person. She has always been a toxic person, and I have a suspicion I know where it started. Her father, my grandfather, was an alcoholic. He demanded obeisance from all his children, he was to be revered and worshipped without question, and my mom didn’t appreciate that. She told me that he was stubborn and demanded “people kiss his ass” and that was why they no longer spoke to one another. It’s ironic, really, that she ever told me that. The apple truly didn’t fall far from the tree. Honestly I was probably at risk for repeating those behaviors if I hadn’t been both incredibly aware of them and unwilling to put my children through that. My relationship with my children will always be one of reciprocity. If I hurt their feelings, I will listen, I will try to understand, and I will try to not continue to hurt their feelings. My mother demands that I be available to her, that I show up as often as I can, and in return I get nothing. She doesn’t invite me to go on vacations, that’s reserved for my ex wife. She won’t invite me to celebrations she has, she won’t invite me to anything. She just demands I be available for it. I’m done. I want nothing to do with my mother anymore. I won’t be available, I am not her pet. She won’t stroke her ego with my broken heart any longer.