Thanksgiving Family Therapy Thread

Ok... many things to be thankful for this year. But, if you're like me, you need some therapy from family this time a year.

Don't get me wrong... I love my family dearly. But today I will be with 20 hard core "christian conservative, ditto heads, vietnam vet, praise the country for electing a moral leader" b.s.

And me... the former national field director for the radical kucinich. now organizing the progressive movement within the democratic party... ahh... I will need to grin and bear it. A LOT OF WINE TODAY!

What can I say ... I came from a family of political hypocrits. I will need to visit you all from time to time to day for therapy/community.

If you are in similar situations today... post your stories here. We can get through the family politics today together! And for THAT... i am thankful for my DU friends today!

Peace and hope,
Kevin

I moved to other coast. Now I can just call and say all the niceties and hang up and eat my turkey in peace.

:hippie:

My in laws aren't fundies, but they're just as obnoxious. Luckily, they are all on the west coast so this year, my family is celebrating Thanksgiving alone, three humans, three dogs and a cat. So far it is very relaxing, we started with a nice brunch, some quality family time playing games and working on a jigsaw puzzle. The turkey is in the oven, dinner is almost ready and I have time for DU. A few phone calls and we're done :).

I send my sympathies to everyone that has to deal with obnoxious family members today!!

When I go to Thanksgiving at the neighbors, I'm pretty sure everyone there voted for Kucinich in the primaries. If they didn't, they voted Kerry. I suggest you just smile and think "This too shall pass away". And then get every one of them the movie "Mind Walk" for Christmas. Though it was made in 1990, it is timely and might get some of them thinking.

tell me more! i am trying to find ways in my gifting to delicatly wake them up!

starring Liv Ullman and my hero, Sam Waterston (see sig line below). Sam plays a Senator who failed in his bid to be president (his name is Jack Edwards, btw, and is an East Coast Senator). Liv plays a physicist who invented a new kind of laser-she thinks it was for medical research, but its going to be used for a weapon. She's gone into retreat at Mt. St Michael in France. Sam goes to lick his wounds in France by visiting an old friend (played by John Heard, I believe). They wind up at Mt. St. Michael and meet up with Liv. They have a great discussion about different concepts of time, how science has changed thinking, and how cutting edge science shows we are all interconnected. Examples of interconnectedness are given for world policy, along with basic concepts of physics. No, there are no car chases or love scenes, but you feel like you are eavesdropping on the most fascinating conversation you've heard in ages.

I've had conservatives and liberals watch this film, and both were fascinated. The conservatives didn't even like Sam Waterston, but were won over to him and the ideas in the film. If nothing else, it would be a movie that would bring out a lot of discussion that will, God willing, change minds and viewpoints.

My mom, sister, brother-in-law, and grandma all voted for Kerry this year anyway so if the conversation did turn to politics I at least wouldn't be alone amidst a group of Bush voters. I feel for you and your situation. I guess try to keep the topic of conversation light. Try sports or something.

that they always talk "shop" and want to know how "work" is going. yeah.. my life is politics. like the previous post suggested... i think my montra today will be "this to shall pass"

the bummer is... this is family and i care about them, even though they think their politics is "moral" in actuallity their sheep. So it cuts deep that people i care about are "sheep"

this xmas i am going to try to find a way to by gifts that try to make them "wake up" a bit. we will see.

We are all Dems but her family is not. And then in September, her mom in law told me she had decided to vote for Kerry and was working for his campaign! So I am actually looking forward to talking to her today. I will just ignore my obnoxious bro in law, her son. He'll be focusing on football anyway.

That solved the problem entirely.

I feel for you. It was just too much for me this year so I bowed out of the whole deal. Its a recipe for disaster, anyway. One militant, angry and very bitter dem in room full of anyone is bad news. I figured why go and risk ruining everyone's holiday. I'm hoping it passes by Christmas.

In honor of his ignorance, we are showing up to dinner w/ Anti-bush Armbands. I have one for every other member of the family! I think he will need the whine (not a typo) this year! Relax, and enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving. We will all be here tomorrow to help you lick your wounds!

We're like strange dogs sniffing eachothers butts, then snapping, then all out dog fight dragging eachother across the dinner table saying things that will be remembered for generations to come.

Which is why we steer clear of eachother in the physical sense. Phony phone calls are made as long as there are no left over resentments, thanksgiving greetings are bestowed and we all pray to god that my brother doesn't tell racial jokes to my sister who adopted 2 black children and she doesn't ask him when he will accept Jesus as his saviour.

It's a freak show from hell and thank god our parents aren't alive to participate in the eventual boo hoo hooing that always tops off the day following some confession that horrifies everyone usually involving a recent arrest having to do with a minor or driving without a license from Mass to NH to buy liquor on a Sunday morning.

Tis why I moved to Florida...to escape and stay sober.

family drama's are here also. it s huge hispanic family, 20 coming to dinner. all "born again" and several "ditto heads" all with higher morals then me of course. i mean with their affairs, children outside of their marriage, divorces, huge judgemental attitude to the world, and even racism at times... ahh yes.. but remember i am the one goign to hell! i am the one advocating for the sodomites and the one without morals! will be a good dinner. 2 hours and counting... :(

One of my nephews was exposed to chicken pox, so I'm at home with my son (18 months and sick already, thank you), not telling my mom-in-law that she voted for the brownshirts again.

Ah, the quiet. While he naps, anyway. :)

Now Xmas will be interesting. I'm almost certain that I'll end up telling at least one person that I don't want to see his face again except when the eyelids are sewn shut...luckily he's not a blood relative.

I am blessed to live in a very blue area of a blue state and all my fundie/conservative relatives live far, far away. I did however get a "Happy Thanksgiving" email from my dad in which he remarked that he "wished the complainers could go to every country he visited while he was in the Navy (112 years ago) so they could see how good they've got it now". I'm assuming I'm counted among the ranks of complainers and rather resent the injection of slams in holiday greetings but, after all, it was just an email and I can always hit "delete". Which I did, without comment.

You, on the other hand, have to endure the real thing. Hang in there and remember we are all here to offer support. :hi:

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'll be with 2 and that's more than I need! Good luck! :scared:

first family member... my uncle

picture this:

veitnam vet
small business owner
56 years old
ride a harly on the weekends
"ride to the wall" person who passes out bibles to bikers
praises bush as a moral leader
love rush limbagh so much that he forces his employees to listen to it daily


ahhhh and he is here... ok.. i need to grab the booze.

It has a way of backfiring at the worst possible moment! I would start with "I woke up with the most horrible headache, stomach ache, runs, leg cramp, back ache... and run and hide whenever possible!!"

You know that whole "loose lips" thing? Yeah - that's me. After a glass or two, I'd be telling the whole fam exactly what I thought.

Fortunately, there are only a few conservs in my family of liberals. It's *them* who have to hold their tongues, mostly because my dad - the Grand Patriarch of Things - is a serious shrub hater and nobody but *nobody* would dare to piss off dad.

You have all of my sympathies. I'd just practice some meditation or astral projection...like that. Chant without sound.

Happy turkey day and good luck.

There was bloodshed in our house. It was expected.

Been there done that many times before. This year, we are thankfully alone at home.

people i care about are alseep and need to be worken up. my family so does not care to know the truth! ahhhh!