Persona Non Grata, Part 2

How do you like the new facemask I ordered?

I was inspired to purchase it when all was said and done with granddaughter, the baby shower, and her being cruel and disrespectful to Twin 2.

After granddaughter ran through the gamut of trying to justify her behavior towards Twin 2 through text messages to me, which messages I skimmed through, didn’t take seriously, chalked up as ravings of an I-have-to-be-right hormone raging pregnant woman and, thus, did not respond to; and after she conferred with her mom (Twin 1) who advised her to be the bigger person, granddaughter capitulated.

Twin 2 would be getting an invite to the baby shower, leaving me free to attend, open myself up to catching Omicron.

THEN later, she reversed that decision saying she feels Twin 2 is "controlling the narrative … manipulating you (me) to take her side".

Again, no reply from me because I’m not feeding the beast. However, if anyone is trying to manipulate me, it’s granddaughter herself.

Twin 2 is off licking her wounds, healing from her hurt, not texting or worrying or involving me further. While granddaughter is trying to bribe me with gifts.

First, it was that coffee cup. THEN, I received the most godawful looking tee.

First of all, it’s PINK and I don’t do pink.

Second of all, it’s not form fitting and I’m not interested in pimping it to fit, because it’s ugly and I don’t care for the assumed sentiment that I’d be so involved in her married life as to be spoiling her baby — sucked in by her baby.

I'm not a good liar, not good at faking it, so I had the devil of a time pretending to like it, be appreciative, so as to not hurt granddaughter’s feelings.

At any rate, it looks like the only one trying to manipulate me into taking sides is granddaughter.

The only "side" I’m taking is my own.

Everyone is grown now, so go …. live your lives and let me live what remains of mine in peace.

I don’t understand why granddaughter thinks that any mistakes Twin 2 might have made, when Twin 2 was there for her all those years her mom was not, warrant such disrespect. However, I do know that I myself had been around the block with granddaughter in the self-same way Twin 2 now is — vilified, back stabbed, burned near to ashes back when I relocated to Long Beach so she could finish school, keep her from being homeless when her mom was deep in her prodigal experience, had left granddaughter to fend for herself.

The way granddaughter talked to me, talked about me to others and treated me during that time broke my heart, took years to heal from, and though our relationship did eventually mend — because she sought for it to mend, it’s never been the same. Nowhere near as close as she thinks — me mostly going through the motions, doing my grandmotherly duties ... not because I necessarily wanted to, but because it was expected. I did a lot of people pleasing, pretending, being careful to not get sucked all the way in again.

So, when granddaughter texted about reversing her earlier decision, was back to NOT inviting Twin 2 and added, "If that upsets you and you don’t want to attend, I understand", I wasn’t upset at all. Instead, I felt free.

I don’t have to pretend any longer.