A Reddit user shared a story about how upset she was after her sister hijacked a family dinner thrown in her honor after she opened a business.
Dinner in Her Honor
According to the OP, her sister (Alison) has always been the family’s golden girl who got away with almost anything. This has always made the OP a little angry, but she had not spoken about it till now.
The OP recently opened a new bakery in town, and her parents were excited. They decided to throw a family dinner in her honor. They invited every family member to come to the dinner.
Sister Introduced Her New Love
Alison lived in a different city, and during this dinner, she came with her girlfriend (Elizabeth) to introduce her to the family. Since Alison had never brought anyone home since she started dating, all attention shifted from the OP to her.
The family members were excited to learn that Elizabeth is a psychiatrist and spent a lot of time bombarding her with questions. The OP was upset because Alison chose that particular day to bring her girlfriend home. She argued that instead of stealing the spotlight from her, Alison should have brought Elizabeth home at a different time.
Why Are You Upset?
At the end of the night, Alison asked the OP why she was sulking, and the OP told her that she had managed to turn the night about her and that she could not live without being in the spotlight. Alison told the OP she should be happy she had found love and wanted the girlfriend to be part of the celebration.
Since then, they have been distant, and the OP turned to Reddit users to figure out whether she overreacted.
The Reddit Community Weighs In
Users from the Reddit platform had different opinions on this story.
One said that Alison may have never known that the spotlight is always on her, “If that’s the dynamic they’ve created and perpetuated, I’m sure Alison has never even considered that the spotlight is always on her.”
She Knows What She Is Doing
Another said Alison knew she was doing wrong, “I agree, to an extent. But Allison is an adult, not a child, and she knows what she’s doing is wrong, and she knows exactly why she’s doing it.”
“OP told Alison about her feelings, and Alison dismissed it. I think she is an active participant, not a passive bystander,” Agreed another user.
She Wanted To Maintain the Status Quo
Another person said that Alison knew all along she was the favorite child and wanted to maintain this status quo, “This! Alison is an active participant and is desperately trying to maintain the spotlight as a full-grown adult. Her parents may have set the dynamic, but Alison is fighting to maintain it.”
“OP told her she was upset about it, and Alison immediately said but what about me OP? Shouldn’t you think about my feelings and happiness?” argued another person pointing out that Alison knew what she was doing.
The parents are enablers.
Another user blamed the parents for this, “The parents are definitely deserving of a good shoulder full of blame, but I doubt Alison is unaware of her favored status.”
She Should Support Her Sister
Alison did not support the OP, and this makes her the one in the wrong; according to another user, “She clearly hasn’t taken any mitigating actions to support OP as a sister, and in the case of this dinner, she’s done the opposite.”
Another person says that Alison should have checked with the OP first, “It was insensitive, and I agree with you with her being wrong because she should have checked with you if it was okay. It was YOUR celebration, not hers. It wasn’t about her having to be in love; it was about your new job. It’s normal to feel guilt when you’ve been unseen your whole life, and with what your sister said, she made it seem you were selfish, which you weren’t.”
They Should Be Happy for Each Other
Someone pointed out that one does not need to bring the other down to be happy, “Can’t they be happy for each other? Does bringing a partner home really mean you don’t feel happy to be celebrating whatever the occasion is celebrating? That feels like a leap to me.”
She’s Insensitive
According to another user, Alison was a bit insensitive, “Despite knowing the dinner was explicitly to celebrate OP and her bakery, not once did the sister congratulate her or have enough self-awareness to think “oh, we haven’t even talked about OP yet, we’re too busy talking about Elizabeth” not even when HER OWN GIRLFRIEND brought it up! That, along with sister’s dismissal, tells me she is either somehow stupidly oblivious to the fact she’s the golden child, or she knows and doesn’t care.”
She could have brought the girlfriend home at a different time if she cared, said another user, “You sulking is understandable, especially with the context of Alison being the golden child and you feeling unseen. It is not that you are not happy for your sister, but indeed – she could have brought the gf to be introduced to the family at a different occasion.”
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
Originally posted 2023-09-18 12:19:32.
