The holiday I helped to create, skipped today in favor of spending time in Indiana with friends and family. I'm sad. There's always next year, I reckon.
I will eat lots of fried foods today (starting out my day with a donut from the Donut Bank!) and drink at least one margarita in honor of FryDay. While it won't be the same, I will still honor FryDay.
So yesterday, we went to the Hadi Shrine for a Thanksgiving buffet. By "we," I mean my dad, my sister, Drew, me, Ace, Betlee, and Preston (my niece and nephew). We loaded all the kids into our car and Amanda rode with Daddy so she could smoke. See, now, there's a car ride I'm glad I wasn't a part of. See, Daddy and Amanda don't get along and haven't for many many years. They're currently in this cycle of not talking to each other and only getting together when I force them to.
I have quite a bit of Daddy's stubbornness, but I've also chosen to forgive the fact that a lot of my dad's decisions caused my freakin' awful childhood and I've moved on. As a result of my forgiveness, my dad openly says that he screwed up a lot and I'm who I am despite his parenting. I also know that my dad hates talking on the phone just as much as I do, and our relationship has been sustained through texting. Hooray, technology.
Amanda is 6 years younger than me and hasn't reached my level of transcendence. As a result, she's very sullen around him, and as a result, he's very sullen around her. They're in this neverending cycle of butthurt - "he didn't call me on my birthday, why should I call him on Father's Day?" Because that's just how Daddy is. Then there's Daddy - "she didn't call me on Father's Day, why should I call her on her birthday?" BECAUSE YOU'RE HER FATHER.
Amanda hasn't made the best choices in life and Daddy's understandably disappointed. Thing is, it shows. Amanda doesn't need that. I don't especially like the things she's done in her life either, but I love her and her kids more than I disapprove, and my disapproval won't help her succeed in life. My encouragement and love will. I don't think this is a lesson Daddy will ever learn.
And there's your episode of Stacey's Thanksgiving family drama. They probably won't openly fight with each other, but I'll probably have them complain about each other to me the rest of the weekend. "I can't believe she doesn't have a job. I've never not had a job." "I can't believe he is so disappointed in who I am that he can't make more than small talk with me." Ah well.
On the docket today: Going to Old Chicago Pizza, which apparently has great pizza and beer; going to the American freakin' Legion, where I had my first job till I got fired for yanking down my co-worker's pants in the kitchen in an ongoing prank war; eating awful food at the American freakin' Legion; praying that Ace doesn't throw as huge a fit tonight as he did last night when we were trying to get him to go to sleep; paying for my neighbors' room in an apology for last nights TWO SOLID HOURS OF TANTRUM. At least he let us sleep in today!
HAPPY FRYDAY EVERYONE!
3 months ago
3 comments:
Ah family. Hey, it is raining here anyway. :) Happy Thanksgiving hun!
Lawdy, having to deal with warring people makes for a stressful holiday. Maybe you should play the guilt card for your sister. You know the old argument, "he's your dad and he won't live forever, so you should enjoy the time you can have now, and let your kids get to know their papaw before it's too late."
Here's another platitude that could help you all "I can't change the past, but I can change my attitude towards it, and realize that my past has made me a stronger person."
Ok-that's enough preaching. Hope the rest of your trip is fun and you can bring some peace between your sis and your dad.
Love ya!
A remote-controlled fart machine would have broken up that tense silence. It would have also been fun for you as you drove behind them, setting it off.
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