family.....
I had a long conversation over the phone with my father last night. It was refreshing to have a nice -no guilty trip- chat about nothing in particular, I can always tell when my mom is not around, he is calm and chatty, when she is there he turns on "the dramatic father who gets no attention" mode. I love the guy, I have always been my father's little girl, which is why I feel much guilt from having moved to lovely Canada and being away from them. In my book being away is my necessary cross, in addition of being the little girl I have always being the peace keeper (more like attempter) for all the absurd issues my brother and him have manage to build between them over the years. The price I pay for my supposed freedom from conflict is that I'm away from my nieces and nephew, my mother, my sister in-law whom I adore. Some thing are just the way they are.
We managed to come to an agreement by the end of last night's conversation, there will be no more guilt trips about me not calling him more often (never often enough, according to him) as long as we keep a weekly date: Every Monday night we'll put all things aside and and get on the phone just to chat. If it works, this will be a first between us, relating without guilt and with clear understanding. We shall see. He did warn me he had a serious "issue" to talk about waiting for me when I go to visit for Christmas: He wants me to marry before he dies. I told you he is dramatic! and before you entertain the question let me clarify: he is not terminally ill, nor is he exposed to any deadly activity other than driving. He loves to imply that I should put the pressure on my SO to marry me (as if my SO may leave soon other wise), and refuses to accept that I may be the one not wanting to jump into getting hitch (because no self respecting lady should imagine a life without a husband, but most importantly because I'm over 30). It can be emotionally exhausting to fight some of that Spanish traditionalist machismo with which my family portrait has been adorned for as long as dirt is old.
We managed to come to an agreement by the end of last night's conversation, there will be no more guilt trips about me not calling him more often (never often enough, according to him) as long as we keep a weekly date: Every Monday night we'll put all things aside and and get on the phone just to chat. If it works, this will be a first between us, relating without guilt and with clear understanding. We shall see. He did warn me he had a serious "issue" to talk about waiting for me when I go to visit for Christmas: He wants me to marry before he dies. I told you he is dramatic! and before you entertain the question let me clarify: he is not terminally ill, nor is he exposed to any deadly activity other than driving. He loves to imply that I should put the pressure on my SO to marry me (as if my SO may leave soon other wise), and refuses to accept that I may be the one not wanting to jump into getting hitch (because no self respecting lady should imagine a life without a husband, but most importantly because I'm over 30). It can be emotionally exhausting to fight some of that Spanish traditionalist machismo with which my family portrait has been adorned for as long as dirt is old.