One of the Filipino cultures I am proud of is being family-oriented. Unfortunately, I notice that it's been gradually fading away. Would you believe that there's an informal rule here that the oldest child should always be obeyed by his or her younger siblings? I use my "ATE" (oldest sister) as an example. She's definitely a hard nut to crack. She sulks and gets mad when we don't listen to her requests and commands. She wants us to be all ears, but we can't, since we also have our own lives. Besides, she's like a backseat driver who keeps meddling with our decisions. In fact, last week, she borrowed money from me for the twentieth time. I explained to her that my budget was tight for this month. Because I am the breadwinner, and she fully knows that I bite off more than I can chew. She still insisted. But I know my limitations. I didn't answer her call and messages, which made her furious. Until she burned bridges and declared that she doesn't want to be part of our family anymore. I've felt a mix of emotions; sad, guilty, and upset. I hope my ATE will get a grip of herself as soon as possible. #No to broken family #One big happy family #Learn some idioms