Family ties

Beware people. This is one of my rare deep moments.

I loved Family Ties, with the guy that is now senile. And no matter what happened everything was resolved with humor and they would simply do "the good and wise" thing.

In real life, my mother has been trying to ruin herself for the last 2 decades and there's nothing we can do to convince her otherwise. I was talking to D. the other day (who's had and having her share too) about the fact that at least for the last 5 yrs or so, I have been really expecting a phonecall from police/neighbors telling me she had been found dead.
R. told me this morning that in fact it has come to the point that whenever i am talking to T. (my sister and co-worker have the same name, so he can't tell from just overhearing me) and something seems to be wrong (like when she called to inform about the break-in at the office last week) he assumes it has something to do with my mother.

His own mother's been accusing us of, well let's just say the weirdest things, mostly coming down to the fact that we weren't living our lives the way she wanted to.
Although we have seem to found a fragile way of dealing with each other, mainly coz she really has the children's interest at heart and they love her to pieces, it is becoming clear that babysitting 3 energetic kids is getting out of her league.
Are we to wait till she admits that herself?
T. had his hand slammed between the car door and the roof coz she let the 3 of them play inside the car (parked in a Busy street) while she did some groceries.

Am I being mean now?
Am I too hard on anyone?
If I know so well I'd better attend my own children instead of work? No I am not getting into that one. I am prepared to think of a lot of alternative solutions of anything anytime, but I am going to keep my work. Firstly because I love it. Secondly because it gets the bills paid. Thirdly coz i want to know whatever happens in my life i can support my children. Fourthly coz i didn't go to school all these yrs for nothing. Fifthly....
Now if I finally win that million it's a different story. But for the coming period i am a working women.

T. (co-worker) had a funeral service yesterday. A 47 yr old male friend passed away after having been in coma for about 4 wks, caused by meningitis.
Absolutely healthy before.
He has 3 children, a 15 yr old daughter living with him and his 24 yr old girlfriend.
2 boys, one of 17 living with his former wife and one of 18 who just entered college.
He separated from his wife 7 yrs ago but never got a divorce.
He was a well off doctor and his ex gets the whole lot now. The practice, 2 houses, several cars and loads of money. The girlfriend is out of a job (she was his assistant), out of her house (coz that belongs to the ex too), basically lost her nearby future.
T. said the daughter had made a very provocative speech in the church about how she only discovered love since last June (when she went to live with her father and his girlfriend) and how money can never replace love... You get the picture.

Man.
Family ties.