The joys of reunion planning.

Nikki’s post reminded me of my last family reunion, which I found myself designated to be in charge of. My family had talked a lot about having a family reunion, but my parents, sisters and brother and I actually did it (now you know if I was going to be designated sherriff, THEY were about to be my deputies FOR REAL). We organized everything, designed invitations and tees, all that good stuff. I even had established an e-rapport with my highly pretentious, useless as hell aunt in Houston (well actually she lives in one of those suburb cities named for trees or woods or something, but close enough). Life was beautiful.

Then the storm hit. Suddenly, out of the blue, my aunt sent me this email with frowning faces. I knew that I was going to have to use some extreme self-control, count to ten, woo-saaa AND nam yo ren ghe kyo once I read that message. It said that two of my fly-by-night cousins had recently moved (woo, big surprise), one had moved in with another cousin (who paid her bills so she still lived in her house so she got her invite) and something to the effect that I was leaving people out and that their mother, my other aunt, was not happy with me. Did I mention that I had to shell out money to find the fly by night’s last address? You know the one they recently had vacated? Did I also mention that my mama didn’t and doesn’t like either one of these heffas (for very good reason) and that I was tolerating their show of the moment purely out of courtesy to my father?

After much deep breathing, I wrote an eloquent and well-mannered reply which clearly informed her that we’re not exactly those people who meet up at big mama’s house every Sunday and while I was disappointed those folks didn’t get their invites, if they wanted to come they could. I also informed my dad of the situation and he shared some well chosen words with her. Life was beautiful again, butterflies were free, all that.

I know some of you are saying, TJ? Didn’t you write about doing something with a family reunion this year? Yes, I did. And yes we will be doing one this year. We will not be on any judge shows in the aftermath, either. LOL. However, we have made some adjustments to the invitation list.