We are family...

I got all my sisters with me...

Guest blog by our very own Sugar Snap Pea, who had her BIRTHDAY this past weekend...so HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEA!!

Families:

Summer is the time where I tend to spend the most time with my extended family. My extended family includes everyone I am related to that is not my Mother, Father, Sister, or Grandpa. I have recently come to the conclusion that my Mother's side of the family really does not like us (my sister and myself). I went to a GNO with that group (on protest) with my Mom. I went because I knew my mom would not go by herself, and she wanted to go. So Friday night found us with this group (from now on they shall be known as the Bitches). Now, before I tell you what happened Friday night, I have to tell you this. Four years ago, my mom's sister, Aunt Donna, lost her husband. Two years ago, she found herself engaged. My Aunt Donna's counsin (one of the bitches) threw a engagement party for her and Tony. My mom called Cousin to find out the details, and was told that the "girls" (My sister and I) were not invited!!!!! NOT INVITED, not invited to my own Aunt's party. WOW I thought, that is really odd. Then I found out WHO was invited and that just rubbed salt into the wound. We are family, I thought, and half of the people there were not, WTF (BTW the engagment soon broke off. I told my Aunt Donna it did not work because it is bad luck not to have you nieces at the engagment party). So, that year I declined to attend that side of the family reunion. "Screw em" I thought, they want to pick and choose when I am going to be considered family, I will pick and choose when I will show up...NEVER.

So, back to Friday night. We get to the "Bitches" function. My mom wanders off to see an old cousin she had not seen in a while, leaving me to my own. I pop open a beer, and move over to a table, where I spotted my cousin's wife, and the hostess of the party. I get to the table, and say "HI". At that point, my cousin's wife and the HOSTESS OF THE PARTY look at me, don't say a word, and continue talking amongst themselves as if nobody said HI or anything. CRUSHED I TELL YOU, JUST HOPELESSLY CRUSHED. Quickly I made a mental note of everything I could have possible done or said in the last three years since I have seen these two, and nuttin comes to mind. I turn around, take a drink of my beer, and quickly move to the opposite side of the room and saddle up to the corner of the bar closest to the door. I pull out my phone to text Big R that this was exactly the mistake I thought it would be, when the nicest of the "bitches" comes to talk to me, cousin Julie. We have a nice conversation, I got some food, sat next to my mom, and shortly left shortly thereafter and went shopping at Home Depot.

Now, my dad's family reunion is completely the opposite. Big Huges, Kisses, interesting conversation about anything and everything, a huge event that I have not missed in years, and don't intend too. AND, AND, Every year I get invited to the July 4th bash and family reunion of my BFF, and am treated so warmly by the people there, some of which really don't know who I am, but don't care. Perhaps that is the point. Perhaps the people who know me, don't like me (not that that side of the family really know me). Perhaps it is because my mom's side of the family is "light" and my dad's side of the family is "dark" (skin tone, hair color) and I take after my dad. I look like that side of the family, and there really is no trace of the "bitches" side to be found in me (except the bitch part). I feel more a like part of the family when I am with my BFF's family. How weird and wonderful is that? I have no idea how my mom came from such horrible stock, but she certainly did not inheret those traits.

It's funny, when people use the expression, "They treat me like family", in my case, that means, you are treated badly. What are your family stories?