But no: in these degenerate days, everyone talks quietly and respectfully, leaves a casserole or platter from Chick-Fil-A, and then goes home to Netflix.
Yeah, see, I come from Scottish stock as filtered through Australia -- everyone talks quietly and respectfully, there is a soul-crushing amount of small talk and everyone catching up as if this is a family reunion, and the hosts smile tensely, carrying nibbles around for everyone to pick at and beers that barely get touched, and everyone pretends not to notice if people have to go hide in a bedroom or a bathroom and come out red-eyed with make-up refreshed.
It lasts for 2-3 hours and then everyone flees home and gets to breathe freely again. (This is why Mum's specifically asked not to have a funeral or a wake, and I have standing permission not to tell the rest of the family, but to bury her, get on a cruise ship for two weeks, and deal with everyone else's reactions afterwards.)
Extended family is so much easier when you have permission to pretend they don't exist.
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Yeah, see, I come from Scottish stock as filtered through Australia -- everyone talks quietly and respectfully, there is a soul-crushing amount of small talk and everyone catching up as if this is a family reunion, and the hosts smile tensely, carrying nibbles around for everyone to pick at and beers that barely get touched, and everyone pretends not to notice if people have to go hide in a bedroom or a bathroom and come out red-eyed with make-up refreshed.
It lasts for 2-3 hours and then everyone flees home and gets to breathe freely again. (This is why Mum's specifically asked not to have a funeral or a wake, and I have standing permission not to tell the rest of the family, but to bury her, get on a cruise ship for two weeks, and deal with everyone else's reactions afterwards.)
Extended family is so much easier when you have permission to pretend they don't exist.