Starfish

When children quarrels. Bickering over a toy. When harsh words are exchanged. What do parents do? Do nothing, for they need to trash it out amongst themselves. Join in. Take side. Turning a mole hill to a mountain. Or be an impartial arbitrator?

Girlfriend had a tiff with younger sister. Both in their mid 2os. Both single working adults. Girlfriend a music teacher while younger sister, a graduate in the teaching profession. Over trivial. Big sis make a harsh comment. Younger sister offended. Spinning into strings of verbal attack. Both confronted mum. Mum took side. Then cold war started. It has been a month. Both sisters are not in speaking terms. Not even in sight. Mum does nothing. Thinks nothing of it. Favouritism? Younger daughter. Smarter and higher earning power. This is so wrong. Wrong when parent does not take it upon them to mediate a misunderstanding among the children. In many cases, such incidents escalate to headline news when siblings take on each other to court over family matters. Washing dirty linen in public. For sometimes, parent's action however small, is ingrain into the mind of the children, unknowing to the parents.