Family Conflict

By: Justin Sherlock

Leaving so Soon?

My mother came to Peoria to visit from Florida. It had been a few months since she left so it was good to see her again. She’s leaving again and I noticed that my little brother is having trouble coping with this. I tried to find the right way to explain to him that people important to you will come and go throughout your life. I told him that as he grows up he is going to have to accept the fact that people have to make their own decisions for the better, even if that does mean going far away for a long time. I also told him that one day he will have to make a tough decision like this too. He will have to choose whether to stay where his friends and family are or move on to bigger and better opportunities.
Well now my mother is asking me to move to Florida with her. Now I am stuck with that tough decision I told my little brother about. I realized it is a lot easier said than done. I don’t know what to do because I feel like my family needs me here right now. How do you decide what to do in this situation? Is it something I have to discover for myself or is there like a set of rules for these kinds of things?