Oh, I’m that aunt. My family sucks. But my niece contacted me yesterday since I’m moving to where I grew up. I know my fam is a bunch of asshats and she asked me if I could take her to a concert. My idiot sister would not allow her to go. I asked my niece which bands she would you like to see and immediately booked 4 tickets for those and another 2 for Moon Hooch. Fuck people who don’t allow you listening to music.
My whole family is this way. For the most part we all recognize that you can live your life and not communicate every day, week, or month and still be okay with a person. We are great at picking up where we left off we just all have our own lives and that’s okay.
It still feels strange to me when friends contact their parents daily or weekly and say their parents etc. Get upset for not contacting them frequently enough. I understand that’s the way their relationship works but maybe my family is the odd duck Lmao
There’s a balance, and it’ll be different for every family. Mine has gone years with no contact, while my partner is in the weekly camp. As time has gone on I’ve become jealous of her and her relationship to family, and wish I had something at least a little bit closer to that with mine.
But we were all so busy with our own lives that we drifted apart, only more recently coming together now that all the kids are middle aged.
It’s kind of surreal getting to know someone you grew up with, and seeing how we’re all so different.
You guys have families?
Auntie Dawn, I realise you’re probably more like me than I realised. Especially because my family probably call me a bitch who’s ashamed of her working class background now too.
My parents made the choice to live farther from the rest of the clan 20 years ago and it was a good decision. Today, everyone over there is at each other’s throats or not on speaking terms. Us on the otherhand, they all love us. Not because we’re great or anything, but because we have zero drama with anyone.
I’m that uncle
Edit: I also have that uncle. He’s biracial and I’m queer just to give you an idea.
I began keeping my family at arm’s length after they bullied me to tears after I’d told my sister I thought she was quick to jump to conclusions. I couldn’t believe the logical jumps she was making after I’d said it, and furthermore that no one took my side, and further furthermore that they just kept at it until I cried and didn’t comfort me at all. It’s an emotionally complex position to be in!
