Holiday Fallout

Well, it finally happened. Approximately a decade after the explosive disaster that separated me from my old man’s side of the family, I found myself stuck in the middle of the entire clan I had vehemently avoided for all these long years. I wish I could say it was great. That my fears of ridicule and condemnation were all in vain, and that they welcomed me back with open arms and great to see you’s, but alas, this was no Hallmark pictures original. I held out hope, initially…offering the invaders from both the front door and the back door hearty "Merry Christmas!‘s and "It’s been a long time!"s, but my cheery disposition did little to gloss over my ten year absence, and the black reason behind it. My grandmother, in whose house this all transpired, did very little to alleviate the situation…as she herself was thoroughly upset with me for my infrequent visits, and rather than assist me with my spur-of-the-moment peace making efforts, she fueled the old hate fires and drew me further into the circle of hell and ridicule. Not that I didn’t deserve it, I’m not going to make any excuses for myself…but all deserves aside, it was quite simply a rather miserable experience to endure on christmas morning. The aunts, uncles, and cousins that came walking in greeted me mostly with looks of shock, coupled with awkward silence and apprehension. Among them were others, strangers to me, and recent additions to the family…either through birth, or marriage, and their presence completed the overall sense of wrongness that the situation invoked.

My dad’s side of the family differs drastically from my mom’s, and although both groups live within the same county, neither has any desire to spend time with the other. Where my mother’s parents say grace before christmas dinner, and indulge in witty conversation about events and such over turkey and home made pie, my father’s mother hosts a massive poker party and serves up Busch light, Marlboro Reds, and a gigantic kettle of chop seuy. The conversation there is strictly gossip, for the most part, and the stained yellow walls and dusty nick-nacks garnish the event appropriately.