Is this wrong of me on Christmas?

Geez, you only graduated from one of the most prestigious schools in the country. But, yeah, you're a fucking loser.

 

My brother's at Notre Dame law. I don't stand a chance.

 

I'll take your school over Notre Dame any day, Cadet.

 

Cadet,
My sister-in-law studied law at Oxford. She's still an idiot. And she's still not the favorite in the family, no matter how hard she tries.
I don't know your brother, but you ARE the fabulous one, even if he has better gift towels
If there's any justice, he'll drop them in the wrong load and whatever crappy color they are will dye all his underwear pink.

 

Thanks, ballscribe. Didn't mean to turn this into an "all about Cadet" thread... but you're right, the holidays have a way of bringing out all this shit. Next year I'm doing Christmas in Bermuda!

 

"Which is why my hubby doesn't want to have kids. I think he's smart. Unfortunately, his sister, under tremendous parental pressure (and I guess societal pressure, too), has made the opposite choice. Poor nephew-to-be, and those who come after him."

Ballscribe, while I respect you and your hubby's decision, I really have a problem with the second part of your statement. Why is it unfortunate your sister-in-law has decided to have children? Who are you to make that judgement?

Having children, or not having them, is an intensely personal choice. She shouldn't have to be looking at her sister-in-law for her approval.

 

Cadet, it's not wrong of you to bring any of this out at Christmas; think of it as the Christmas season magnifying what bothers you most with others' behavior (or behaviour) and you decided enough is enough.

 

Well yeah. There is that too

 

This was the first year I didn't have Christmas with my family.

So my sister calls me from Birmingham. We do something unique on Christmas: talk.

We're shooting the shit about our family, talking about Thanksgiving. We then shift to the fact that neither one of us ate hot turkey on Christmas or Thanksgiving at Grandma's. In fact, neither of us had hot turkey till we were adults.

My grandmother much preferred my aunt, her husband and their two sons over the company of my side of the tribe. That much I knew. But then my sis drops this bomb on me: my Grandmother always had two Thanksgiving dinners. My aunt's family was served first.

A couple of hours later, we came over. Food was warmed up on the stove, and there never was an "official" carving of ol' Tom Turkey. It was already piecemeal. And cold.

And I never found out any of this till this, my 40th Christmas. What. A. Bitch.

 

wow. i guess it's not as bad as finding out you were adopted or you have an illegitimate sibling or your dad is really your uncle, but damn. that hurts.

that said, reading this and the MIL thread has made me feel a lot better about my family and in-laws. we definitely have issues and problems and things i'd like to change but nothing compared with the stuff other people go through. i usually don't take any pleasure in the misery of others, but when it's all laid out nicely in front of me here on SportsJournalists.com, all i can think about is how lucky i am to have such a together family and to have married into a decent family.

 

And she neither asked for it, nor received it.

Most details not outlined here for complete strangers to make an comprehensive assessment.
And I suppose there are millions of people who have children, regardless of the environment into which they bring them. And some of them turn out OK.

You're right about it being an intensely personal choice. Which doesn't stop the majority of the planet from constantly asking people about that very choice, whichever way they decide to go.

 

I'm assuming you have good reason to make the judgements you have made here, ballscribe, and as you said, you don't want to share with complete strangers.

But your statements regarding your sister-in-law's decision sure sounds judgmental and arrogant and makes you sound quite happy with yourself in your own brilliance.