I have two siblings that have thrown their lives away on hard drug use. It is so heart-wrenching and impossible for me to explain without it sounding like some fickle platitude... but I feel the pain in your words!
I know you do not need me to tell you it... because obviously you have already told yourself... but: Good on you for coming to terms with it all the way that you have. That kind of conniving is so wretched to witness being done to someone who is loved.
Thank you for your kind words. She is the grande dame of the family, and since her husband passed years ago, she's all alone, and I'm the only one who does the yardwork and such without charging her a dime.
My sister was once selfless, but is unrecognizable now. The whole family is addicted and dysfunctional, leaving me as the responsible one at home.
My lack of a car is what hurt me and gave my sister the opening she needed. She offered to drive aunt around to appointments, to pay her taxes etc. She was working her HARD!
Even though she's always hated the woman.
At one point in yesterdays conversation, she mused about splitting the estate (that was intended just for me), with both of us. But I wanted to keep the house and preserve my uncles vast model plane and cars collection as well as his ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE! HO train setup in the basement, as well as using it as a place of refuge for family and friends needing a place to stay. But I knew my sister would want to sell everything in order to feed her addiction.
Everything happens for a reason. But what I'm most happy about is that I headed off any feelings of guilt on the part of my awesome aunt, lifting any weights from her shoulders, and leaving her in peace. She deserves nothing less. After all, its her house. :)
Well, off to bed, I feel one of my extended writing breaks coming on, so we'll see how I respond to it. No use doing all this writing just for Google! :)