I guess you've gotta play the cards your dealt

Things with my sister, who is a year and a half younger than I, have been rocky for quite a while.  I was never very close with her.  Recently she has been having some pretty severe problems with her life.  See, things started to get complicated when she was 20 and became pregnant.  Of course she was not married and her boyfriend was a scum bag that treated her like absolute shit.  My parents always said that she would be on her own with the child.  Things never actually happen that way.  When Natalie was born she was just the most beautiful thing.  Everyone's hearts just melted.  My sister ended up leaving her boyfriend after a month and moving in with my parents - probably the best move she could have made.

Things with my parents and my sister started to fall apart when she took advantage of their generosity.  She thought she could move out and live on her own, pay all her bills and take care of a child.  WRONG.  This is where we stand now, she is struggling to make ends meet and it has been snowballing as of late.  I chose to alienate myself from her and her problems, which may have not been the right decision.  People need support during hard times, but I didn't want to have her drag me down with her.  I spoke with her briefly yesterday and we decided we would meet for coffee tonight and talk about things.  I set a ground rule: no lying.  One thing I will not accept is being lied to.

I am approaching this whole thing with extreme caution.  Hopefully baby steps will start the healing process.  I'm excited.