tim42b is right! you cannot shoulder every problem as though it is your own, either. i was doing this with my son (trying to take everything on - and practically be willing to do his homework with him 24/7). but, today i don't feel like it is my responsibility to live his life. just as it is not your fault or responsibility what your parents choose to do or not do. the best you can do, is when you talk to your mom - to tell her that you miss her and love her - and hope she comes home when she's ready. maybe she's having a short 'breakdown' too, of sorts, and needs time to sort things out. don't worry forever about her - because you are young and have needs of your own, too. she's old enough to take care of herself for awhile - and she'll work out her situation.
(take it from a mom - i've felt like going somewhere for a couple weeks, too! if it wasn't for my four year old - i might have taken a mini- vacation somewhere just to get away from the housework alone).
sorry to hear about your ear - your recital not being performed (as your TEACHER decided - which it's really not up to the teacher totally to say 'you're ready.') just take your time on finding another teacher - and in the meantime, write a letter to your teacher explaining the background stuff you told us. about being sick, your ear, your mom, the things going on - that sometimes teachers don't fully understand or hear or have time to hear in a lesson. write the fact that you appreciate (under normal circumstances) him pushing you to do your best. if the letter doesn't work and you don't hear anything back for more than a month - then start looking elsewhere. even when you rant at a teacher (they'll understand). everyone has bad days. teachers rant, too.
i think burning bridges is something terrible. there has to be something between teachers and students like an amicable divorce even if you split. to have shared so much before and then suddenly never talk again just seems a bit harsh! students do outgrow certain teachers, but it doesn't mean you can't still have a friendship/mentor type relationship for as long as you can. i should have kept in touch with my first real teacher much more. i think he was always open and available to me - and being young i compared him at first to the next teacher i had in college (which was unfair because they both were good in different areas of music). the first with bach and chamber music, and the second with liszt and schumann and more virtuosic piano repertoire. i actually ended up being a lot more similar to my first teacher in terms of what i actually did with my music - and the virtuosic part slowly is developing - but i've done tons of 'chamber' type stuff with instruments/voice/choir. also, because of my first teacher, i'm not scared of bach at all. praise them for everything good that they taught you - and move on. you'll find another teacher in no time - if you are sincerely outgrowing the one you had.
if your teacher is constantly learning himself/herself - you may have an important ally where you live as well. mine started out teaching with the community college - but i think he is the head of the piano dept. at university of alaska now - or plays an important role there. it is really funny how students change over time. i thought someday i was going to be this 'concert artist' and now i see that what you are outside of the piano realm really makes who you are - and if you make it to the top, great - but breaking ties and hurting feelings is just pride. knowing about how to play the piano is just one small aspect of a huge area that teachers deal with. you are dealing with shaping people - and my first teacher was an excellent 'shaper' because he was a humble person (therefore easily taken advantage of, sometimes). he always said his true feelings and yet was careful not to hurt others. in fact, he went out of his way to make sure all his students were treated well. i don't remember anything bad about him.
Topic: When catastrophe strikes...