Overheard my aunt say 'at least he showed up' about my cousin who came to Thanksgiving drunk and crying

That comment hit me weird because ten years ago that same aunt would have made a huge scene and sent him home, but now she just sighed and handed him a plate, and I realized we all just got tired of fighting about stuff that doesn't really matter anymore - has anyone else noticed their family gatherings getting quieter in a sad way?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_black12d ago

Your aunt probably just got tired of being the family sheriff, you know? My own mom used to spend every holiday picking fights with my uncle about his drinking, but eventually she just started handing him a coffee cup and moving on. It was weird at first because I kept waiting for the explosion that never came. What really helped me was just letting the quiet be okay and not trying to fill it with fake cheer or old arguments. Sometimes the saddest thing about a family is when everyone finally gives up on trying to fix each other.

charlienelson12d ago

Yeah but maybe giving up is actually how some families finally learn to love each other without conditions.