Several years ago during a family reunion, A family member who was holding my son dropped him onto his head. It took a few years for us to be sure that he had luckily not received any lasting damage (he’s a bright kid today, thankfully).

At the time when this happened, my brother (Who has always been a bit of an antagonist toward me) said “ well it’s not like you fill out a window!” Alluding to his own childhood when he fell out a window and survived. Everybody in the room laughed when he said that.

My son had just fallen on his head, and my brother’s comment infuriated me. I said something similar to ”take it the fuck back,” and he responded in kind and it got even more intense between us.

That was years ago and the riff has never healed. In fact other family members since that event have commented that they felt I over reacted. It’s like we’ve been excluded.

I believe in keeping frame, I know how to do that and pressure flip etc etc as needed. But his response occurred at a time when we didn’t know if my one year-old son was brain-damaged.

How would you have responded? I’m honestly interested. Thanks.