Family

-

Saw a post on Twitter from someone in the Midwest. She said that her family has been in a year-long battle about the inheritance and that her uncle showed up at the family Christmas gathering with a to-go container.

He filled it with food, didn’t say a word to anyone, and left.

They saw him eating in his truck, and then he peeled out and left.

Made me laugh.

Yet the battle is real for a lot of families. I don’t quite understand how it gets that crazy.

There are a lot of political in-family squabbles as well. Many members of the same family don’t quite see eye-to-eye on Covid and vaccinations which is a whole ‘nother problem.

Having a get-together is a tad risky right now anyway. When you aren’t sure who might not be vaccinated it’s even worse, but of course, the unvaccinated are quite vocal about how stupid you are to do it.

There’s not a whole lot of fighting on either side of our family.

My philosophy on it is to just not comment. If an inflammatory text is going ‘round, I’ll simply ignore it.

It isn’t worth it.

Especially arguing with siblings.

You shared a freaking swing set with those people. What can possibly drive a wedge through that?

Arguing about politicians?

When people are asked about the most important part of their lives they’ll always answer, almost automatically:

“Family.”

Then they show up to the party with a to-go-container!

Fight each other over immigration or taxes or religion.

Kind of crazy.

The best part of our Christmas?

It’s a tie between sitting with my Mom for a nice, long visit. She made us laugh. Kept asking why we bought her so many presents.

“It’s crazy. You kids should all keep your money.”

Then.

The boys were gathered around the tiny tree we had set up at the kitchen table.

Back and forth they went. One joke after another. A couple of old stories.

I sat back and listened. They’re brothers and friends. They’ve never battled too severely to stop talking to one another, and it brings what my Dad always said to the forefront:

“Friends will come and go. You’ll always need your brothers and sisters.”

Not sure what kind of fight could ever cause me to bring a to-go-container to a family outing…

…but you gotta’ give that guy credit.

A ballsy move.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more