[odellthurman]

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4. My family doesn't know me and that's okay. Eight years separate my closest sibling and me, with 14 years between me and my oldest sibling. We have little in common other than bloodline. I was in college while they were starting families. I was in grad school when our father died. They had their built-in support systems and I did not. I began my career, got married, bought a house, changed jobs several times, and even though I live one block away from my sister, not one person in my family knows my interests, skills, or even what I do for a living. Last Thanksgiving, one of my sisters asked how my "little job" was going. Fine, I guess, if you consider managing a $2 billion product line little.

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You sound really bitter about this. Even if members of your family have done things to make you feel angry/slighted/belittled, you might consider taking the intiative to connect with them. If they don't know about your interests, skill, or job, tell them.

I'm 38, and I find as I get older that it is worthwhile to connect with family members. Of course, it doesn't always turn out well, but I think the effort is worth it.

If I am reading too much into your post and am off-base about your particular situation, I apologize and simply offer this as my personal opinion to others around our ages.