But who really needs a justification to be generous? Thanks for the GA. I'm not in, though (already got 'em).
I'm not close with my family. We don't foster a lot of hate, but we're not especially close. My youngest brother lives in Berlin, actually near where I used to live when I was there, so it's not like I can just drop in and visit; he's successful and popular in his field (he's a dancer), and I completely understand his impulse to favor a chosen family that is not necessarily a biological family as his primary social focus. My other brother lives nearby with his family, and I see them often. He is donating a kidney to me so that I can go on living, which is something I have to respect, although he is dragging the process on mercilessly, which makes me angry. My sister lives up in Maine with her family, and she is an extremely difficult person. I rarely see her.
This Thanksgiving will be the first without my mother, who died last spring. She was also a difficult person, wonderful and accomplished in some ways but quite mean in others. As a result of that meanness, I have little in the way of extended family, as most of the casual relatives just stopped dealing with us at some point. My father, newly alone after 55 years of marriage, is finding his feet and enjoying his time - it's very nice to see.
Post edited November 21, 2014 by LinustheBold