Who needs family?
Remember this entry I made not even fully a month ago?: Hello, life. It's been a while.
If you don't, go back and read it to refresh your memory, because I've got another doozy today that actually made me cry. Yes, it appears as if even my feelings can be hurt. Even when an e-mail is twelve days old. I really need to check my AOL mail more often, because today, when I thought about it and checked, I discovered this winner from my Aunt Kathy.
But first you need to know about the follow-up messages between my Aunt Carol and myself.
Carol: That's fine. We need to know by Wednesday July 21 so that we can get the invitations out before everyone has made other plans. If we have not heard from you by then, we will assume that your sister-in-law is going to handle your shower.
Myself: While I appreciate you and Aunt Kathy thinking of me, I'm going to have to respectfully decline your offer. I don't want to sound rude or ungrateful, but if I'm going to have a baby shower then I'm going to have one on my terms. If you and Aunt Kathy still want to hold a "family reunion"/picnic, then by all means do so, but I'd prefer *my* baby shower not be used as an excuse to hold such an event if it's not going to be the sort of party *I* want. Even if I can't get my sister-in-law to throw me the type of baby shower I want, I'm still going to have to turn down your offer. If all else fails, I'll throw my own, somehow.
Those messages were passed back and forth on July 20th. Carol responded with simply an "OK" and that was that. What I didn't know is that my Aunt Kathy had also sent me an e-mail. I didn't know this because I don't check my AOL mail as frequently as I used to. I discovered the message today, however, and wow does this sting:
Kathy: As I am sure you 'know' you are not at all respectful and in fact 'extremely' rude.
This is not about a 'family reunion' ...rather... about a family joined in love for our brothers daughter and grandchild.
Grow up!!
Kathy
Carol,
Count me out and I say send back all monies rec'd for the gift
She also sent the message to Carol too. I can't believe this shit. I wrote her back, in tears, today:
Myself: If that's the way you feel, then I can see that you truly do NOT love me at all. If you truly did love me, you would not presume to do the following things:
a.) Exclude my friends, whom I equally consider to be family, from this event.
b.) Take complete and total control over the entire process and exclude me completely from the planning stages.
c.) Make me feel like shit because I said no to something I don't want to do.
You should recall this same ridiculous bullshit notion concerning my wedding, where I did NOT want a wedding shower. Instead, I wanted an engagement party that included not just my family, but also my friends, and one in which the menfolk could attend as well. I would like the same consideration be given to a celebration that commemorates my firstborn child. I will not be guilt-tripped into feeling like dirt and forced to accept your plans over my own.
My sister-in-law will be throwing me a baby shower in September. I will be inviting you because I do love you and you are my family. If you choose not to attend simply because I don't want to be harangued into having some stupid little girls/family only shower with retarded games that I have no interest in whatsoever, then so be it. I don't want people to attend who do not wish to. I want only people to attend who actually DO love and care about me.
Thank you so much for making me cry. I know how you really feel now. This just proves to me who my true family is. Those would be the people who actually KNOW me and wouldn't try to shanghai me into doing something I don't want to do.
Nice knowing you.
-- Stacey
Even adults in their 50s with grandchildren of their own can be guilt-tripping bitches. And here I thought Aunt Kathy would've been on my side and would've known better than to try to pull this shit on someone like me. Thanks for hurting my feelings, Kathy.
If you don't, go back and read it to refresh your memory, because I've got another doozy today that actually made me cry. Yes, it appears as if even my feelings can be hurt. Even when an e-mail is twelve days old. I really need to check my AOL mail more often, because today, when I thought about it and checked, I discovered this winner from my Aunt Kathy.
But first you need to know about the follow-up messages between my Aunt Carol and myself.
Carol: That's fine. We need to know by Wednesday July 21 so that we can get the invitations out before everyone has made other plans. If we have not heard from you by then, we will assume that your sister-in-law is going to handle your shower.
Myself: While I appreciate you and Aunt Kathy thinking of me, I'm going to have to respectfully decline your offer. I don't want to sound rude or ungrateful, but if I'm going to have a baby shower then I'm going to have one on my terms. If you and Aunt Kathy still want to hold a "family reunion"/picnic, then by all means do so, but I'd prefer *my* baby shower not be used as an excuse to hold such an event if it's not going to be the sort of party *I* want. Even if I can't get my sister-in-law to throw me the type of baby shower I want, I'm still going to have to turn down your offer. If all else fails, I'll throw my own, somehow.
Those messages were passed back and forth on July 20th. Carol responded with simply an "OK" and that was that. What I didn't know is that my Aunt Kathy had also sent me an e-mail. I didn't know this because I don't check my AOL mail as frequently as I used to. I discovered the message today, however, and wow does this sting:
Kathy: As I am sure you 'know' you are not at all respectful and in fact 'extremely' rude.
This is not about a 'family reunion' ...rather... about a family joined in love for our brothers daughter and grandchild.
Grow up!!
Kathy
Carol,
Count me out and I say send back all monies rec'd for the gift
She also sent the message to Carol too. I can't believe this shit. I wrote her back, in tears, today:
Myself: If that's the way you feel, then I can see that you truly do NOT love me at all. If you truly did love me, you would not presume to do the following things:
a.) Exclude my friends, whom I equally consider to be family, from this event.
b.) Take complete and total control over the entire process and exclude me completely from the planning stages.
c.) Make me feel like shit because I said no to something I don't want to do.
You should recall this same ridiculous bullshit notion concerning my wedding, where I did NOT want a wedding shower. Instead, I wanted an engagement party that included not just my family, but also my friends, and one in which the menfolk could attend as well. I would like the same consideration be given to a celebration that commemorates my firstborn child. I will not be guilt-tripped into feeling like dirt and forced to accept your plans over my own.
My sister-in-law will be throwing me a baby shower in September. I will be inviting you because I do love you and you are my family. If you choose not to attend simply because I don't want to be harangued into having some stupid little girls/family only shower with retarded games that I have no interest in whatsoever, then so be it. I don't want people to attend who do not wish to. I want only people to attend who actually DO love and care about me.
Thank you so much for making me cry. I know how you really feel now. This just proves to me who my true family is. Those would be the people who actually KNOW me and wouldn't try to shanghai me into doing something I don't want to do.
Nice knowing you.
-- Stacey
Even adults in their 50s with grandchildren of their own can be guilt-tripping bitches. And here I thought Aunt Kathy would've been on my side and would've known better than to try to pull this shit on someone like me. Thanks for hurting my feelings, Kathy.