The Fun In Dysfunctional
“Tradition is the illusion of permanence.” — Woody Allen
I’m breaking with my usual tradition of parent-bashing after my mother clearly demonstrated to me today that on some level, she does get me. She may not approve or agree with everything I do or say but it does appear that she can sometimes at least see who I am.
Our family has a time honored tradition of using humor to diffuse uncomfortable, painful and awkward situations. I know this tradition is not unique to my family but it is truly the one thread that binds us. My father was the ringleader of this coping mechanism and he taught his daughters well. My mother is a lot more reserved, particularly in public, but she usually does laugh at our shenanigans even if only to not feel left out.
My hubby is a bit more like my mother in this respect. He’s reserved in public but laughs with (at) us most of the time. I sometimes think he secretly wishes we’d just shut up once we really get going. My sister’s hubby is completely on board with us. In fact I think he’s helped us take our game to the next level. Our specialty is inappropriate humor and more specifically, inappropriate humor at inappropriate times or occasions. We have had several conversations that began with, “Remember what you said at that funeral…”. The more twisted the better. Nothing is sacred. There are no boundaries.
I don’t know when it began but one of us must have decided that confessing to things we got away with when we still lived at home during Thanksgiving dinner was a wonderful tradition. We do it every year. I’m actually trying to come up with something for this year. I only have a few weeks left. The pressure is on. We try to out-do each other and the more shocking to my mother, the better.
Today when I came home from work my sister’s car was in front of my house. My mom watches my sons before and after school so I expected her to be here and she was. My sister being here was not at all traditional and I was actually slightly alarmed. The first thought that popped into my head (I did mention twisted, right?!) was that they were doing an intervention. On me. But the only thing I could think of that would require an intervention was blogging. Of course when I came into the house there was no intervention. She had gotten off work early so just came over to hang out. When I half-jokingly said I was afraid it was an intervention my sister said, “Yes it is. For blogging.”. We truly do share a brain.
My mother just laughed at us but said it reminded her of a sign that she saw in a catalog that was perfect for me. She tried to get out of telling me anything more because she hadn’t meant to mention it. She was planning on getting it for me for Christmas. She said as soon as she saw it she thought, “Cyndi”. Another tradition my sister and I started long ago is that when a situation like this arises you must spill the beans. Once we have knowledge of a secret, we must know that secret. Immediately. Along those lines, we insisted that my mother tell us what the sign said.
I’ve come to embrace my craziness. She may not be proud of it. She definitely doesn’t embrace it. But on some level she does get it, accept it and is able to laugh about it. That’s good enough for me. This is the sign that made my mother immediately think of her eldest daughter:
Thanks for stopping by!
Love it!
Tammy´s last blog ..36 – A Nice Round Number.
OMG, I am friggin laughing out loud at the computer, by myself, and with tears in my eyes!
“Nobody means what they say on Thanksgiving, Mom. You know that. That’s what the day’s supposed to be all about, right? Torture.” – Claudia (Home For The Holidays)
Steph´s last blog ..Green Reading
“How fast can you go Tommy?”
“Like the wind, honey.”
Good times.
i get it. for all the crap in my family there is lots of laughter. maybe that is the flip side of the coin! and it is totally inappropriate and hilarious as well….
consuella´s last blog ..hitting the wall
Reminds me that relief comes in various ways, humor is my personal favorite. Try baking a cornish game hen inside a big turkey. While carving it at the table with an audience all around, exclaim, “Oh no this turkey was pregnant!”
Dawn´s last blog ..Trees Talk to Me
LMAO! Dawn that’s a freaking riot!
Last year we lost our appetites when mom’s giant turkey showed it’s THIRD leg! We have pics!
(Honestly, the turkey was so huge that when the wing tip fell off the arm seriously looked like another leg. Our mother didn’t help matters by seriously disfiguring the poor roast beast when she tried removing it from the pan.)
Steph´s last blog ..Green Reading
That’s hilarious in a very twisted way! Ever try that again after that?
My bro & I enjoy our infrequent family dinners b/c we like to get manic and crude.
And our family also likes to bring up embarrassing stories at holidays, such as the time my Aunt woke up to my Grandma moaning, thought she was sick, but found her and my Grandpa getting it on. We usually re-tell that one on Thanksgiving for some reason.
Wow. I’m having nightmare-ish visuals and I don’t even know your Grandparents!
I think something in the turkey acts as a truth serum or filter blocker.
I love the sign! I must be a different dysfunctional than you, though. I wouldn’t think intervention, my mind would immediately jump to think something horrible had happened. Blog intervention definitely would be a new one! Like that new Dr. Drew Sex Addiction reality show — but blog edition. They take away everybody’s computer access and watch them go through cold sweats and “air typing.” hehehe
Christina´s last blog ..Teeny Tiny Side Dish
Honestly, I did consider that something had happened too but quickly dismissed that, for the more logical (not!) possibility of a blogging intervention because in an emergency I can be reached by cell phone. It all makes perfect sense in my head.
Air typing….hilarious!
How wonderful that your family shares that kind of laughter. I truly don’t remember laughing in my house growing up. Ever! I still don’t get most jokes. Think there’s a synapse missing in my brain. Anyway, so glad you have that to hold onto to.
karen
Karen Walker´s last blog ..Gratitude
I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t know how we would ever have survived at all without our sense of humor.
Had me cracking up!! Love the sign. I’ve got to get one of those.
John Scott Smith´s last blog ..Do Handwritten Notes Get You More Mortgages?
I may make it the new tagline for my blog.
OMG Cyndi. I love this. We kind of do the same thing. We were all in tears laughing at one family get-together about all the embarrassing things mom has done when she’s gone somewhere with us. Then we all were howling about the funny crazy things my late father used to do.
Inappropriate humor is the BEST kind. And if one is to endure the torture of spending the holidays with family, they should at least get to enjoy a few laughs at their expense!
That’s what the holidays are for…..ripping on each other mercilessly, right?!
Cyndi, thank you for your reader items in Google reader. I am very fortunate to have found your blog and am happy that you share your items with me. Thank you so much for sharing your blog!!! It has been a friend.
Warmest,
TJ
Thanks so much TJ!