Dear Marion,

Thank you for your letter. I'm much appreciative of your empathy
with Margrit and of your sensitive interpretation of her final
memorandum. You challenge me when I characterize Margrit's attitude
to me as "rejection." The answer to that challenge is easy.
It has two parts:

a) Margrit rejected me according to my standards of family candor,
cooperation and cohesiveness.  On several occasions she indicated
that she was prepared to extend to me affection comparable to that
which she extended to her other friends. But I demurred because
the commitment I expect from a sister goes far beyond casual
friendship. Members of a family cannot lead lives independent
of one another. Our criteria were different: what by her standards
was acceptance, was rejection by mine. 

b) Acceptance and rejection are verbal, logical concepts which
cannot do justice to the ambivalence which is integral to human
existence. As Zerlina sings: vorrei e non vorrei. Whether it
should be said that Margrit accepted me or that Margrit rejected
me, depends on the mood. In the end whether the glass is deemed
half-full or half-empty makes no difference: the label doesn't
alter the reality.