Hey, everyone. I, um, I need some help. I'm facing an issue in my life that's really hard for me. I don't know what to do anymore. I would like to apologize in advance, because it might take me a bit to explain the issue.

You see, I don't live with my biological family. I moved out when I was sixteen to live with a friend and her family. But I maintained contact with everyone. I'm the eldest of seven children. Their ages range from 10 to 19. I mean, we can't always keep contact, because sometimes they don't have a phone or access to Internet. It's gotten better over the recent years, but still we struggle. Between an hour time difference, my college classes, their schooling, and stuff, we just can't always stop to call. We pass messages on Facebook and answer when we can. I ALWAYS, however, stop to listen to their problems. Because I love them, you know? I try as hard as I can to keep in contact. We even have a group chat set up so we can act like we are all in the same room talking.

Well, recently, something happened. Something big that caused a rift in the family. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but it caused them to take sides. And since I wasn't involved, I wasn't informed right away. I was able to talk to two of my sisters one day in that group chat, and of course the issue at hand was brought up. And, like always, I talked to them about it, despite not being directly involved. But, then another sister (this one has always been the closest to me. We agree on a lot of things, share interests, defend each other to the core, like we were more than sisters, we were best friends. We share our problems and secrets and dreams. That's how close we were.) Anyway, I sort of digress. She comes in to the chat and starts telling the other two that they're selfish and deserve every hardship that falls upon them. I tried asking her what she was talking about and then she rounded on me and told me I had no right to talk to any of them about their problems. She said because I had moved out, I was no longer related to them and should just stay out of their lives. She said I wouldn't understand their problems partly because I was a community college student (she's going to a university) and partly because I apperently don't really care. She told me I had never cared about them and should stop pretending. I tried to explain myself, but the fight went on and I eventually snapped, said some nasty things in return, and shut her account off from the group chat and blocked her.

At first, I expressed how deep the pain of this incident was. I cried and ranted. But after a couple days I put up a "devil may care" front, because I didn't want my burden to overshadow the people around me anymore. So I kept all my emotions inside and it's beginning to mess things up for me. Even now, writing this out, trying to ask for advice, for help, it's hard. Because I don't want to burden anyone else with this. But, I don't know what else to do. Because I know I need help and this won't get any better without it. Because I know I'm stubborn and I know if I don't, I'll sit here with this storm inside my head and heart, this crushing feeling of despair. What do I do? Please, if someone has any advice for me, I'll be glad to take it.

Sabra

I was going to try to get tix this year, but I never received the email with the link to the ticket buying site.  I checked my junk mail and deleted mail folders, but no dice.  The SDCC site says I was eligible, but without that email link I couldn't do anything.  Maybe they didn't want me there this year!

Oh well.  After all the stress SDCC caused me last year, I don't feel bad about missing out this year.

How do you become eligible?

Guess who just became friends with Paul Levitz on Facebook?