Dear NYC Artist,

in both cases, both of your uncle and your friend, you speak of failure:

Not speaking to him makes it awkward at times. I know I need to stay away but it just ultimately feels like a huge failure.

As for my friend, again, I feel feelings of failure.

Since your love and peace-making attempts failed, even though you’ve given your best, do you perhaps feel like a failure? If those people don’t change, do you see it as your own failure, your fault, your being “not good enough”, rather than ascribing it to their own limitations and their stubbornness?