I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as an adult. It explained a lot of childhood difficulties, and led to a lot of soul searching. My religious, traditional family wasn’t ready for the changes it would bring about.
I was more assertive, and some things were no longer OK. My pet hate was getting information second hand, eg if you held a family BBQ and I was welcome, I wanted you to contact me and not ask my parents to invite me.
My grandmother, known as Nana, lives alone. She has cleaners and has meals made, but otherwise she is independent… and very sharp and opinionated. She moved from Canada to Ireland in 1953, but her accent never changed. I hear her clear, Ontario accent when I write this.
On Sunday 22 March 2021, I received a whatsapp message whilst driving to her house. It is written by Uncle 1, to dad, which dad forwarded to me.
Uncle: Hey dad, because of the worsening health crisis we are no longer visiting nana. We will tell our kids, please pass on to your [grownup] kids. She understands that visits will stop. Please pass on to your kids [including me].
Dad: Please respect the above.
I wept, because I find it upsetting that [uncle] didn’t message me directly. He knows it is unacceptable. I ignore it and arrive at Nana’s house, unannounced.
Nana: Good evening [my name], I thought you would come tonight!
We talk about the things you expect, like her arthritis and the health crisis. She is sharp as a knife. I wear a mask throughout, I sit 5 metres away and stay ten minutes. Later that night, my phone rings.
Dad: I am absolutely appalled by you! How dare you visit Nana!
Me: Why do you say that?
Dad: She said you gave her flowers!
Me: Really? It’s Mother’s Day, and I gave my grandmother flowers… and you didn’t see that coming? Like I do every year?
Dad, not ready for that: I… you… you were told not to visit her!
Me: When you spoke to her, did she complain about my visit? Or is this your own complaint?
Dad: Irrelevant! You were told.
Me: I think it’s very relevant. Nana understands the health crisis. She kicked a few visitors out because they weren’t masked. She seemed very pleased to see me.
Dad: It’s too dangerous to visit elderly people!
Me: Dad… that’s for doctors to decide. The government has issued all sorts of advice, and it is fine for healthy people to visit elderly relatives. Why did you not ask [uncle 1] to call me direct?
Dad: That makes no difference!
Me: Really? Is it possible that I was already going to see her?
Dad: It’s dangerous! Do you want me to cut you out of the will?
(I am livid my father would even consider that threat.)
Me: Again… that isn’t how it works,. If I have done something illegal or if I ignored government advice let me know. All I see is two private citizens going about their business. You have Power of Attorney over your father, but not nana.
Dad: You ignored me! If she…
Me: Will I tell you how you and [uncle] should have handled this?
Dad: Speak?
Me: You should have asked him to call me, and just ask me politely not to visit her. I would have said “I’m already en route because it’s Mother’s Day, what should I do with the flowers I bought?” We could have agreed something. You two crazy men didn’t give me room to reply!
Dad: …
Me: Are you there? I need a dad, but if you carry on like this I might not see you as one. Please think this through. Look, I reserve the right to visit nana whether you like it or not. That is subject to her agreement, and the rest of the rules… no dad I don’t have anywhere else to be, I can argue about this for days…
(He argued for another 30 minutes. I didn’t budge. He gave up & hung up. I talked to Nana a few days later.)
Nana: I told [dad] you came to give me flowers because I thought . You do it every. Single. Year. [Dad] and [uncle] shouldn’t bully you like this, I can decide. Next time they ask, I will tell them “what happens between us is a secret, if you can’t respect my independence about visitors then don’t expect information about it.”
For over a year, I never talked about whether I had visited nana. I talked to dad regularly, like this all never happened. Uncle still talks to [dad] when he has something to tell me, and I still get upset about it. Nana recently chose to move to a home for elderly people. She still speaks Canadian, and doesn’t tell anyone if I visit.