Anonymous wrote:Most (not all) of the relative vents are about older women being manipulative, demanding and not respecting boundaries. I see the same thing in my extended family. My MIL and aunt behave the same way. Was this generation trained in these skills? It just seems like an exhausting way to live but also seems so common.
Why do they care how other people live their lives? Why do they obsess about getting their way?
I do believe it might be the case. My MIL is all about appearances, she'll sweep obvious facts under the rug and pretend everything is 'wonderful'; maybe, it makes her feel better about herself, I don't know, but that constant denial and desire to live for the approval of others is bordering on ridiculous.
My SIL died of cancer last year in her early 40s. Tragic, right? The thing that bothered MIL the most - at least on the day of the funeral - is to make sure their neighbors in their retirement community 'don't find out'. For the life of me, I don't get why - maybe, she was thinking the tragedy was tarnishing her 'standing' or whatever. Long story short, somebody from 'the community' found an obituary in the paper and pinned it at the community event board.
MIL nearly had a stroke. "Who did that? How did they find out?"
Gee, lady, your only daughter is dead, and you care who found that out???
Yes, OP, older women ARE strange.