Family Stuff

      Am I correct in saying that everyone has at least one family gathering that they reallllly do not look forward to? I actually have several dreaded reunions, because I have a uniquely diverse family (plain Mennonites on one side, teen moms on the other side), which can make for some pretty awkward mingling. However, there's one get-together that I dread a little bit more than most, and that is our yearly Christmas dinner party with my Dad's side. I have to sit there amongst my teenage cousin, her nine month old son, her boyfriend-of-the-month, her foul mouthed sister, and all the endless steps: my step-cousin, my step-aunt, my step-grandfather. I feel like the odd man out. My brother can usually enjoy himself because he's funny, so everyone likes him because he can make them laugh, but I'm just the boring, weirdly dressed, goody-goody, boyfriendless cousin, who can't crack a worthwhile joke, and avoids eye contact for the majority of the evening. In all honesty though, I'd rather be their idea of weird than make a lot of the choices they have made for themselves. I love my cousins, and I stand by them completely, but I have felt some major dissapointment for them over the years. It just makes me really sad to see families essentially falling apart at the seams.
     I think a lot of it comes from the fact that I simply don't understand what they are going through. My parents have been together for an uncommonly long time for two middle aged married adults in the 21st century, and I go to a relatively safe and harmless school. I've been going to church every Sunday and Wednesday since I was concieved, basically, and I have been living in the same comfortable house for my entire life. I think a lot is to be said for stability and consistancy in the bringing up of a child, and far too many kids don't get the stability they deserve when growing up. I know my cousins sure didn't. I pity them because I know that children follow the example of their parents, and the example many of my family members have set out is not exactly a very good one. I am certainly not one to dish out parenting tips, or life advice, but there's definitely some loose strings in my relatives' lives, and it makes me really sad to watch them dealing with things way beyond their maturity level while I get to go back home to my comfortable family with my two biological, married, in-love parents and a brother with whom I'm really close.
     Anyway, as much as I dread this yearly family thing, it's not so much that I dread it simply because I don't like my family members a whole lot, but more because I really feel sympathy for them whenever I see them. I always just wish I could do something to help. I look at my unmarried cousin's little boy without a daddy and my heart breaks into a million little pieces because I know how many kids will have to go through the same exact things as him. If there is one thing I could say that you should take to heart, it would be to make good choices and listen to your parents. They are here to help you!

Movie Recommendation: Juno. Juno puts a lighthearted twist on a very serious topic, while also hitting all the critical points of such a sincere story. I like to think that if I were in the same situation as Juno, I would handle it in a similar way. She is very selfless in the way that she deals with her circumstances, in this case, teen pregnancy, and she is also incredibly mature. Ellen Page is a wonderful actor, as is Allison Janney, both of which are definitely some of my favorite actresses.

                                                                             -VaughnDL