Family

[East TX granny]

Do you spend much time with your family? Do you enjoy being around them or do they get on your last nerve sometimes? I love my family but some of them I can only stand for an hour or so.

[Syble]

None of my immediate family lives very close so I don't see them that often.  The nearest one is 40 miles away. I do have a cousin that is 13 miles away and a niece that is 7 miles away but I rarely see them. So when family comes for a visit, I am glad to see them as long as they don't stay over two or three days.  The annoying ones don't come around.  

[MTwoman]

My immediate family members are all in CA. Saw everyone when I was down in Sacramento for my grandson's wedding in Feb. Expecting the SoCal family up here this summer for a week or so and we'll have a good time. No one really gets on my nerves even though my daughters and I are a lot alike. 

[Grandma Helen]

There are parts of the family I really enjoy and others not so much.  My oldest has become almost anti social.  Told me he hates people.  I told him sales may not be a good fit.  He does very well,  but calls us maybe once a month.  My second son and I always talk and he calls for advice when needed and usually listens to me.  Third son, can be irritating because the world is supppose to revolve around him, but he does nothing to make himself better and now he's mad at his girlfriend, according to him, his wife, because she decided to get off disability and make more money in a week than she was getting in a month.  He can get on my last nerve easily, but he's polite so I listen.  Give advice that I know he won't take.  The rest of the family is my brother and his life partner, who we all like.  Both very entertaining.  Then there's my ex husbands sister and her family.  Just wonderful people and his older brother.  Another one who is anti sociala, but ok.

[officerripley]

Only family Huzz and I both have is, on his side: 3 siblings, 1 is a drunk/drug addict who thinks the world owes him everything & lives 8 hours away (thank goodness), 1 is a sister who's married to an idiot & they live 3K miles away; and 1 is a great guy married to a great gal who only live about 2 hrs. away but who's got terminal cancer; and Huzz also has assorted nieces & nephews all of whom are at least 2 hrs. away.

On my side, I had 2 siblings; my brother only lived 30 min. away but he died last June; my remaining sibling lives about 14 hours away thank goodness because she's like Huzz's brother, an angry person who thinks the world owes her; my assorted nieces & nephews all are pretty far away except for 1 nephew who's 30 min. away and is a great guy but really got his hands full what with his job and family stuff (his mother, for one).

So even tho some aren't that far and I know they care about us, they're dealing with their own numerous problems.

[PartTimeBrewer]

My oldest daughter and husband live 16 miles away with 2 children still in the house. We would typically see them about once per month, mostly holidays but covid has cut that down drastically. Younger daughter, husband and 2 preschoolers live in San Diego County, so we usually will visit for a few weeks once per year. But again not with covid. They are actally hiding out in Hawaii now since before Thanksgiving. We usually do get a daily FaceTime with them. Son, wife and 2 teenagers live in S. Car. We were supposed to go there for Thanksgiving but canceled because we didn't think they were taking covid serious. Then they were supposed to come here for Christmas but canceled because all four of them got sick with covid. They will be OK, and Josi and I dodged a bullet

[MTwoman]

Backtracking...Daughters in CA happily married, own their own homes and have master's degrees. Everyone gainfully employed except oldest grandson who is temporarily unemployed by covid and the CA lockdown. No mental, alcohol, or drug problems. I do have 2 nieces and their families living nearby, but busy with their lives, but did see everyone at my great-niece's wedding in August...all doing well. Adults gainfully employed, the bride is applying to med school, everyone else working on their educations, the young ones very pleasant and well-mannered. I consider my self very fortunate. As an aside, I haven't seen any of my late husband's family since the funeral, 15 years ago for which I'm eternally grateful.

[Grandma Helen]

MTwoman you were so positive until your husband's family. That was fjnny

[Leftygrl]

My brother lives close by and we stay in contact mostly by phone right now. My daughter lives the next state over so I  haven't seen her since Christmas 2020. I miss seeing her, although we talk on the phone, text, and email.

It's just the way things are right now.

[Karin M Fichtner]

The only thing I dislike about going home is living out of a suitcase. My two daughters, 4 granddaughters and 5 great grands were all positively delightful company. There are always lots of laughs when we get together. Our visit this year was shorter than I'd average liked, but we enjoyed every minute. The great grands are teens now, and that's a fun age. My youngest son and his wife banter back and forth. They call it " banter"; I call it "bickering". That gets old kinda quick. But I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of this slightly dysfunctional family.

[Wendy]

My family is 7 hours away and we have to stay in a motel/hotel as my sister won't invite us to stay with her, but her friends can stay for 2 weeks at a time - go figure.  My other sister doesn't have the room  Honey's family is all gone (passed) so we go to see my sons and sisters.  I am told I'm too much like my oldest sister as we can't be around each other very long before we start.  So we are now closer to my middle sister and she has us for dinner when we come up several times during our stay.