Saturday 14 November 2015

30-day Writing Challenge - Day-23

A family member you dislike

Now I know this is a writing challenge but ...... let's look at the definition of dislike - feel distaste for or hostility towards.

Honestly I do not feel distaste or hostility towards any of my family members.  That may be because I barely know most of them so everything is kept extremely civil.  I always think I have a fairly small family but then when you sit down and work it out, it's actually a lot of people.

Mum - Step Dad - Step Sister + partner & 2 kids - Step Sister + partner - Half Sister
Nan
Aunt - Uncle - Cousin + partner
Great Aunt + partner - 2nd Cousin + partner & 2 kids - 2nd Cousin and unknown quantities
Great Aunt + partner - 2nd Cousin + partner & 2 kids x2 - 2nd Cousin
Dad + partner
Uncle
Step Mum + partner - Half Sister + partner - Half Brother + partner - Half Brother

I ring my Mum everyday.  Yes, I am one of those people.  Because I ring my Mum everyday I usually speak to my Step-Dad daily as well.  We have a healthy relationship.  That means if I do something they think is idiotic they'll tell me, I'll pout and then we'll all have a good laugh about it later.

My little half sister and I stalk each other on Facebook.  This is because we have similar fandoms and don't want to miss out on any epicness that the other may find on the web.  My step-sisters and I see each other about once a year.  It's comforting, we check everyone is still the same, we hug, we may imbibe and then we carry on with our separate lives confident in the knowledge that the other is there if we need them.  I don't talk to my Nan as much as I ought to.  I dislike myself for that.

You are only supposed to speak to Great-Aunts, Uncles and various forms of cousin at family events such as Births, Deaths and Weddings.  It's like the unspoken family law or something.  There is no additional requirement to speak to or engage in any way shape or form.  We have gone above and beyond said criteria and are attached via the book of face.  This helps us keep tabs on each other and instills healthy keeping up with the Joneses.  Not really - I feel quite sure we have the same apathetic reaction to each other.  And that's not a negative.  It's just normal family relations.

Flip over to my father's side.  My half sister lives in Norway and we've recently started Skyping once a month.  It's good.  We actually have things to talk about because we leave it a month between each session and as we've been siblings for a quarter of a century we don't stumble over forced politeness. My baby brother and I facebook when we need to, my older baby brother is far too busy for such old fashioned social media and as I don't snapchat we don't chat however we all meet up at least two times a year and now that older younger is practically settled down I feel sure we will be meeting up with bouncing bonny babies in tow in the not too distant future.

It's all good.  I feel if I knew my more extended family better (not parentals or siblings) I would have to start making decisions about whether I agreed with them or wanted to hang out on a regular basis. I have my friends for that kind of thing.  Plus if you ever do fall out with a family member it ripples through the rest and lines are drawn - let's just all continue to nod and smile, nod and smile, nod and smile.




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