Fan Tail

It is my best friend of 11 years' 20th birthday today. 11 years is a really long time to know somebody let alone be best friends with them. I feel supa fake when I sing somebody's praises (mostly because I'm generally more vocal about my critical judgments) but I will just say that... Little Mishelle is a super cool person. I would legitimately trust her with my life and I hope she would trust me with hers (risky, to be honest).

My mum left for Malaysia this afternoon. To visit family/for a holiday. She was reluctant to go because she's having family troubles. My grandpa has been living with my second auntie for many years now, ever since my grandma passed away. As you've heard me complain about many times before, he's not the most hygienic lad and is generally quite messy. Unfortunately, the relationship between my auntie and my grandpa (and consequently between my auntie and her other siblings) is very strained at the moment and has been for a while. I think it's a combination of his messy habits and also being basically dumped with this responsibility.

It's perhaps mean to call looking after my grandpa a responsibility but it really is. My first auntie is very rich and very reluctant to have my grandpa stay with her because he is so unhygienic and her house is some kind of pristine castle. My uncle lives in Melbourne and we live in Perth. Apparently, my second auntie barely talks to my grandpa anymore. They don't really acknowledge him and want to send him to a nursing home. However, he refuses to because he isn't sick, is still very mobile and I guess it's considered dishonourable or whatever to send your parent to a nursing home when it isn't absolutely necessary.

It's very unfortunate. I sometime struggle with controlling my more negative feelings when my grandpa comes to stay. Things like simple hygiene and other general bad habits can make me very resentful. I know it's wrong because he is very, very old (93 next year) and therefore these bad habits are very much ingrained in him. I try to bear in mind that he's a good person and is generally a good grandpa. However, I can definitely understand why my auntie and her family have grown so resentful of having him stay so long with them. I feel sorry for them and sorry for my grandpa too. I can't imagine what it must feel like to live somewhere where it's so obvious that you're not wanted there.

I hope some resolution can come about soon. Honestly, I think having him live in a nursing home would be most beneficial because I can't see him staying at my auntie's house getting any better. I know he would be unhappy with this arrangement, mostly because of how he would think others would perceive it, but I feel like being around people his age and having more stimulus would be better for him.

J