Monday, November 12, 2007

My family is nucking futs
So here's a challenge.

There's currently loads of family drama as a result of my cousin's funeral.

The very brief version is that lots of people are hurt and they're all lashing out at each other.

I'm trying to play the peacemaker, but we shall see how that goes.

'm so freaking frustrated. I come from a bigger family and I believe that with larger families comes more room for dysfunction. For some reason, we seem to barrel down TotallyAndCompletelyFuckedUp Lane during and after funerals. This most recent loss is no different. Shut up. Sit down. Hug your damn cousin/brother/sister/aunt and be glad you still have him/her.

This has inspired me to issue a challenge. At any time this week, pick a day and take advantage of that time as complaint free. Do not rant about any family members. Do not roll your eyes when your mother makes another ridiculous comment. Do not call your sister screaming no matter what your kids flushed down the toilet this time. Do not complain to your spouse about how many stupid e-mail forwards your cousin sent you today.

Then come back and tell me how it felt. I plan on trying it myself. I won't tie myself to a specific day, but I promise to do it and report back.

FAQ:
  • Yes, pets DO count as family members.
  • While complaining ABOUT family members should be avoided, complaining TO them is allowed as long as the topic is not others in your family.
  • You commit to an initial 24-hour period. If you feel compelled to continue after that, you're more than welcome.
  • "Family" is defined by the individual. If your particular family includes those who are not blood relatives, you should avoid complaining about them.
  • After you have completed your day, please come back and leave a comment on this post.
  • No, it's not any sort of competition. I just want to see if it makes a difference in how we view and treat our families.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

We've actually been trying that "challenge" at school and we have to document negative comments. It's a real eye-opener, that's for sure...ironically, it isn't the kids with the most negative points!-prncesssuzieq

tg said...

Okay, I'll try too. Don't know what day I'll do it, but I'll do it.

Anonymous said...

Each day I try. Then I mess up, and try again. Thanks for reminding me this time of year how important it is to stay in the positive and only own my own issues.