ExposedNYC

I always feel a little strange at holiday parties with my family for one strange reason- I never know everyone. My family’s party is always hosted at my aunt and uncle’s gorgeous house and includes all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends of the host. So why do I feel like a stranger?

Of course I recognize my grandmother, her sisters, my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’s when you get into my aunt-who-married-into-the-family’s brother’s wife that I start to get confused. My extended family really only ever gets together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and occasionally Easter, making it even more difficult to keep relationships straight.

Now, I’m all for spending time with family for the holidays, but sometimes it just becomes a lot of work. As relaxed and laid back as my immediate family is, my extended family is the picture of conservative republicans (so political debate is pretty off limits). So, I politely smiled and nodded my way through “How is New York” and “What are you doing out there now?”

My brother’s presence was sorely missed. He’s never been the most social member of the family, but he is great to commiserate with near the bar over when we can politely talk our parents into heading home. Sadly, he decided to become unreachable on Christmas Eve, and somehow his behavior will be deemed accepted, chalked up to him being an “unusual boy”.

I did have a good time catching up with one of my favorite cousins, formerly a rebellious teen converted to a work-a-holic. She has maintained the sharp wit and ability to shock the family with outrageous comments, but no one seems to mind since she became self-sufficient.

Christmas day was spent in a style much more my own, in pajamas drinking coffee in the living room, followed with a round of football. This is the kind of family environment I want to create one day. There’s a saying along the lines of the family you’re born into is not necessarily the one you choose to share your life with.

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