left out again - don't want to attend half-brother's wedding
17 years ago
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- 17 years ago
- 17 years ago
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Don't invite me to your kids wedding! - Vent
Comments (10)This is what happened to me. DH and I got married in the spring of 2003. At the time his uncle (DH's father's brother) was dying. They live in the midwest (we live in New England). My MIL INSISTED (and she never insists, she's very nice) they (uncle, aunt and 3 adult children and their families) not be invited because they would not come due to the uncle being so ill and it would seem like a grab for gifts. I disagreed (I think you invite all aunts and uncles even if they live on the space station), but went along with MIL. When DH and I went out to the uncle's funeral one month after the wedding we learned one of his cousins was actually in Boston (less than an hour drive from our wedding!) for the week of our wedding. They knew we were getting married. They could have attended. But we didn't invite them! I felt so horrible. I apologized and explained what happened (i painted MIL in a sympathetic light), and I think all was forgiven. I don't think I'll ever listen to MIL again on something like this though, I should have followed my gut. Five years later and I still feel awful about it. If you can't afford a gift I would send the couple a note wishing them much happiness, maybe with a little anecdote about when they were small (if you knew them). I received some notes like that, and they meant more to me than most of the gifts I received since they came from the heart (and not WalMart)....See MoreMost unusual wedding I ever attended
Comments (28)Two summers ago Lisa, a longtime friend got married. Nothing unusual about that. For the third time. Nothing terribly usual about that. To a guy 10 years her junior. Somewhat unusual, but no unheard of. At the beautiful, upscale Ritz-Carlton in Southern California overlooking the Pacific ocean on a picture perfect day. No shortage of beautiful days in So. Calif. but I'm sure the Ritz had never hosted a wedding as garish, gaudy and colorful as Lisa's. The colors were shocking pink and bright orange. The bride wore a white bustier with a 30ft train. A woman in the wedding party wearing a hot pink mini-dress walked Lisa's Chihuahua dressed in tulle down the aisle on a long pink feather boa. Martini glasses had feather boas around the stem. Cocktails had flashing ice cubes. Inside the reception room, feather boas hung from the chandeliers. Each table represented a festive country. We sat at the Paris table. There was a large band who started playing even before dinner began as did the dancing. When you were on the dance floor, gals walked around handing out feather boas, sunglasses and other assorted gifts to the dancers. A DJ followed the band later in the evening and two film crews recorded everything. The cake was incredible. It was made up of individual cakes wrapped in orange and pink chocolate and topped with shaved chocolate and chocolate covered coffee beans. Lisa is quite an interesting gal. She worked for me about 30 years ago. Very naive. No education other than high school. She has come a long way and is now quite wealthy. The wedding cost over $100,000 and she planned every last detail herself. It was beautiful, wonderfully fun, perfect day, perfect wedding. I took about 200 photos that can be viewed at the link below. Jodi- Here is a link that might be useful: Lisa and Eric's perfect wedding....See MoreShould we or Shouldn't attend the wedding
Comments (15)Scarlett, thanks for "allowing me to say "screw it". That about sums up how my hubby and kids feel as well as me. At least a good part of me feels. I've tried my best to change the relationship for over 20 years and gotten no where. I continued to try because my mother was alive and continued to want me to. No matter what I did, it never changed. On the other hand, it would be nice for it to, but at this point I don't forsee it happening. My daughter asked me yesterday, if the situation changed, would you ever be able to believe in or trust the change or would you be looking for the "underlying reason and what they are up to". I told her I didn't know and she said she would never trust them after all these years. When I told her that I didn't like her attitude and her taking sides or being caught in the middle between the parents on both sides, her comment was "we have been, both of your kids, because you have been trying so hard for so many years and keep getting shot down and we see how it has affected you. You gave custom handmade graduation gifts to both of my cousins along with graduation cards and only got 1 thank you note from one of your nieces, and both of you kids didn't even get an acknowledgement on either their HS of college graduations. You sent them pics of us from graduations and you got nothing. When grandma died, they wiped out her apartment of almost everything before you and dad got there at the time you where told to meet them there. When we got there, there was nothing left for us to take and everything my brother and I gave our grandmother was gone. When we said something about the stuff, your brother and sister-in-law told us we where lying that their kids gave grandma everything and we gave them nothing. All my brother and I have is a coffee mug we each gave her one year that says "worlds best grandma". They took everything else. So how can you say we aren't caught in the middle. You didn't put us in the middle, they did." She's right about all she said, and I could add so many more things. The reasons for going to this wedding are really not the right reasons to go; because my mother would want me to, to spite them if that's the reason we where invited, ETC. One thing I've learned in the past few years of my health not being good is that life is to short and you never know when your health will be good or bad. Take the advantages of good health and enjoy them, deal with the bad when you have to, but don't torture yourself with what could have been and what you should have done and didn't do. You can't change that. I would love to add a family tie in to a wedding gift for my niece, but I don't have anything to give them. My mother left no will and they left me and my children with very little of anything of hers. As for recipes, well I sent them some after my mother died and was told not to send any more, they don't want them and through out what I sent them. I've spent quite a bit of time talking with my hubby, my kids and my best friend about what is the right thing to do and have pretty much decided, with all of them agreeing, that it's time to put this chapter of life to rest. My health, both physical and mental is far more important than any wedding to attend. I've been through several years of serious orthopedic and spinal health problems, several surgeries for them and am still trying to get back on me feet. Mentally, I'm just too drained from all that I've dealt with in the past couple of years to deal with the any more attempts to salvage something that no one who knows us and the situation believes is there to salvage. My family and friends have been through too much with me to see me suffer or be hurt or insulted again with this family situation. The words are "enough is enough, time to end the torture for yourself. Going to this wedding will be a physical strain on you that you shouldn't do, it may very well set back your recovery again, and you've had enough things happen to set you back that where beyond your control, but this one is." Being honest with myself, what they have said is true. My brother doesn't know anything about the health issues I've had or the spinal surgery, so I can't say anything negative about no contact with them over that. I never called him, nor did my hubby or kids. None of us saw any need to. The people that where important to us knew and where there to help me out with whatever help I needed for the past year and are still doing. I wouldn't expect my brother to have done anything. So, at this point in time, the invitation will be declined. I will send in the RSVP declined and the same day I mail that I will send a letter briefly explaining health issues that include spinal surgery and one set back after the other. I had hoped to be recovered enough to attend, but after seeing my spinal surgeon this past week, his advise is I am not medically or physically capable of attending the wedding or reception. I wish my niece the best and all the happiness in the world and when I am recovered enough, we would love to get together and catch up, see pics of the wedding etc. I will also send a note to my niece as well and will send a gift. It won't hurt to be the one to be courteous and polite. I was brought up that way, brought my children up that way as well. My daughter though, asked to have her name and her brothers included on the gift card when we send the gift and they will contribute to the gift. Again thanks for the advise. It is much appreciated....See MoreWhen You Don't Want to Be Invisible or Friends After 50
Comments (138)I had been trying to re-connect with a friend by emailing her and arranging lunch dates. I was always the one to initiate. I kept it up for several months. When we saw each other it was always really nice. When we ran into each other at church there were always big hugs and "we have to do lunch again soon !". The only way that was going to happen was if I initiated. I stopped. For good or bad I don't think that it can be one-sided. I have given this a lot of thought. I have always been a loner and I believe I always will be. I have had one good friend at a time for years and then it would end and I would have another. I seem to be able to manage that and nothing else. I believe that if I really wanted more I would do more to aide the process. DH and I are really close and do a lot of things together and separately. He has no close friend either. But that is nothing new. Looking at it dispassionately it is the way we are. I no longer think there is something wrong with us. Everyone finds their own way of carrying on. My way wouldn't work for someone else and their way wouldn't work for me. When I am on a bike tour for months at a time I do enjoy being with others ...up to a point. All of us on the trips agree that our tent is like a return to the womb :) When I get home I really relish the lack of stimulation from others and go right back into my solitary ways. I have meditated at length on this and on my original thread that spawned this thread. I am what I am and that is all that I am. Peaceful is how I feel ...not lonely or alone. c...See More- 17 years ago
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