I’m feeling very disappointed right now because of something that happened the other day. I went to pick up my grandson at college, wearing a floral sweater I’ve had for years. It always makes me feel cheerful, but when I waved at him, he turned away and walked off. Later, he told me I was “too embarrassing.”It wasn’t the sweater that hurt; it was the disrespect. For a long time, I’ve been made to feel small in my own family, and this was the breaking point. That same day, I decided I’d had enough. I called the bank and stopped paying his tuition.A week later,

I ran into his mother at a pawn shop. She was selling the jewelry I had given her over the years, gifts I thought would carry meaning and connection. When I asked why, she said, “If you don’t care enough about your grandson, then I won’t care about your family’s jewelry.”That response said everything. Family should never be about money or material things — it should be about love and respect. Sometimes, the hardest decision you can make is to step back, but it’s also the only way to protect your own dignity.We’re truly sorry this happened to you. Sometimes hurtful words or actions from teens and young adults come from a place of immaturity rather than true intent. Adolescence can be messy, and sadly, situations like this can happen in many families.