Tell us about your idiot relatives

[Betty]

Wow-my family seems so normal now. That's nice.

Except for my husbands brother and family. They live in the same city as us - yet we see them only on Christmas. They are invited to all the usual family fuctions but never come.

They used to though - until The Incident. My youngest and their youngest (who is actually a few months older) were playing around at a brunch years ago at some buffet restaraunt. They were all of 2 years old and my husband's brother jokingly (?) egged his son on to hit mine or wrestle with him or something. Nothing much happened - a quick few tears that ended. I missed the whole thing but was curious - so the next day I emailed her asking what had happened. And apparently while describing the incident in a way very similar to how I just did, I angered her to the point where she sent several flaming emails my way. I replied with an - oh no - you've misunderstood - I didn't mean that. This furhter insulted her, implying that (gasp!) she'd not understood what I was trying to say.

So - out of an incident 6 years ago, we don't see them anymore. I'd love to get to know my nephews more - but I think they fear her wackiness as much as the rest of us.

She's taking medication now (mental issues) and that's helped a bit. Apparently I just got a taste.

But still - we only see them once a year.


On my side of the family is the child molesting husband adopted child of a relative who - thankfully - is now dead. So is his married-to-someone-who-could-never-do-that wife. Their child is with other family members.