Family Reunion?

[Sierra]

So I just got an email from a cousin and it appears that she is trying to put a family reunion together.

It seems to be a fine old tradition in many families to all get together somewhere and see each other every year or so. We have such a distinctly international board here so I was wondering...

Does your family have family reunions?

Do you go?


Mine has not in the past and I have to be honest I'm not a fan. The family members I actually like I get together with as often as it suits us. The ones I don't like I certainly don't want to spend money to see them.

[lysyn]

Yes mine does. Once a year, usually, every so often more if there are graduations, weddings, baby showers, funerals and such.

Sadly I go to them. I mostly hate them, but at last years I found out my favorite uncle is a Dom. It's weird knowing that, but it's made for some funny interactions. Incidentally, S and he get along really well and no, there is no incest happening there.

If I wasn't expected to go to these things, I would not. I dislike most of my family. Growing up, they never had time for me and now that I have "married money" I get a lot of relatives asking for it based solely on the coincidence of our shared DNA. It's horseshit. If it weren't for the fact that I love my mom and she expects it of me, I wouldn't go.

[FuckingRotter]

Funerals. I didn't go to the last one which was six years ago. I see my sister when I can, other than that I don't bother with them.

[pervipete]

No thankfully, though it could be a laugh watching the different groups trying not to kill each other, and probably failing

[pervipete]

Originally Posted by lysyn

If I wasn't expected to go to these things, I would not. I dislike most of my family. Growing up, they never had time for me and now that I have "married money" I get a lot of relatives asking for it based solely on the coincidence of our shared DNA. It's horseshit. If it weren't for the fact that I love my mom and she expects it of me, I wouldn't go.

I don't think I'd be expected to go, so turning up would depend on who was organizing it and why, there are even relatives who's funeral I would only go to if I was allowed to bring my own wooden stake and hammer

[Abby]

Not a formal reunion. We did all go to Atlantis together, which was our first trip in years. We're planning a x-mas trip now, which I'm excited about. For awhile my family wasn't really getting along.

[jwham]

Yes my family has one every summer at Cumberland Falls State Park. I try to go every year, although I have missed a few for various reasons. We are a large family so I don’t even know a lot of the younger people there. I think it’s the bike ride to get there and back that I enjoy the most.

[justmetoo]

Given the nature of this board I would think a lot of us would go to them. After all, we need to check out that hot niece or nephew. Never pass up an opportunity right?

[The_Scotsman]

My family always get together at Hogmanay, but that's fairly normal here. The only exception being my relatives in Canada, they make the journey 'back home' every three years or so..........Last time they were over, my nephew wanted to go to what he called 'the soccer game'.........I had to remind him that he's back home now and it's called 'the fitbaw'

Bloody foreigners!!

[Sasha Girl]

Most of my family are overseas. Here in Australia I have only my mother and sister. It's been this way for many years now, ever since we left my abusive stepfather (my father died when I was 5). I love my little family more than words can say, and I try to see them as often as I can. In an ideal world, I would live less than 20 minutes' drive away.

[Dangerdevil]

Our family really doesn't do reunions. At least, none that I'm ever invited to.

[dickbiggers]

We generally do the standards - births, deaths and weddings. We also do "number" reunions lately. Next month is my aunt's 75th birthday, so another six hour drive.

Thing about family reunions is that they are good memory joggers. Like in the weeks leading up to them, you say "Gee...I miss old Uncle Ted and Cousin Sue. Why don't we do this more often?"

Then you spend three hours around these raging fucking maniacs and you say "Ooooohhhhhh, right. NOW I remember!"

[Sierra]

OMG, I couldn't agree more with dickbiggers!

My family are self-important twits on one side and unmannered louts on the other. My guy comes from fundamentalist self-righteous Christians.

I have nothing against being proud of one's heritage, I don't insist on knowing which fork to use and most Christians are good people. But none of these is anything to be loud about.

And then there's my brother in law, who is a complete waste of space and oxygen.

There are probably three or four people in my big Catholic family that I can stand for more than 30 minutes at a time. Those people (my sister, my son and a cousin) I like very much indeed. The rest? I am much happier when I'm 3,000 miles away and I'm sure they feel the same. It works out.

[pervipete]

Originally Posted by dickbiggers

We generally do the standards - births, deaths and weddings. We also do "number" reunions lately. Next month is my aunt's 75th birthday, so another six hour drive.

Thing about family reunions is that they are good memory joggers. Like in the weeks leading up to them, you say "Gee...I miss old Uncle Ted and Cousin Sue. Why don't we do this more often?"

Then you spend three hours around these raging fucking maniacs and you say "Ooooohhhhhh, right. NOW I remember!"

The sad thing is, I largely live in the same four or five square miles as the most of my lot, even living a couple of buildings down from one, and the same bloke as one the few decent on my dads side, who I do see, usually after telling his son off for using the underside of my flat to play football lol, most of the time I manage to avoid them, This is quite easy as I also manage to avoid the shopping area of my hometown, mainly cause its a shithole full of chavs, whining grannies and people asking if I have had an accident/ want new phone provider/ credit etc, God knows how many churches and more pawn and secondhand shops than I can work up the energy to shake a stick at

[Emily Johnson]

I enjoy family reunions. It means ROAD TRIP!

[Sierra]

*off topic*

Hey, Emily! Long time no see.

*resume your regular programming^

[GermanChick]

I love hanging out with my family - it helps that I only see them once every couple of years since I live an ocean away.

I'm going 'home' this summer for about a month... we'll see how I feel about them afterwards

I'm the only one that ever left to live somewhere else, so I'm kind of an exotic novelty when I show up. Nobody takes my opinions or attitude serious because they know I'll leave again soon - its actually quite perfect, I highly recommend it.

My family here in the US is its own little unit and we get to make our own 'extended' family with friends we pick...

[jwham]

Originally Posted by GermanChick

My family here in the US is its own little unit and we get to make our own 'extended' family with friends we pick...

Backyard cookouts with a few family members who’s company I truly enjoy, and good lifelong friends that feel as much to me like family as my blood related ones do, are the best reunions IMO. As they say, you can’t pick your family, but you can pick your friends who become like family too you.