Christmas is always a stressful time in my family. Six of us were born in an eight-year span; four girls and two boys. Usually, the whole family gathers at my parents’ house on Christmas Eve. As we have matured into adulthood, the extended family has grown to include our spouses, children, and significant others. It truly is a Dysfunctional Family Christmas.

It's almost as fun as it looks.

The past is no longer the past when everyone is crowded into a small house. Old rivalries flare up; buttons are pushed. No one can get on your nerves the way a sibling can.

 

I get along with all my siblings. I love all of them. But I can only be around my oldest sister for about five minutes before I want to kill someone. I "get along" with her through sheer force of will. She is, without a doubt, one of the most self-absorbed people I’ve ever known. If you met her, you might say that she’s perfectly nice. I might, too, if I hadn’t grown up with her.

 

But I did. And she drives me nuts. She also drives others nuts, namely, my two other sisters.

 

My sisters and I feel guilty about this. So we have resolved to be mature about things. To let it go. To ignore it! But it’s amazingly difficult to do that. So, one year, we decided we needed to come up with a signal. When she said or did something annoying, one of us could acknowledge it to the other. Somehow, this would alleviate the stress.

 

We agreed it needed to be a rather mundane word or phrase that wouldn’t seem strange to those around us. I came up with "The cat wants to come in." My parents had two cats, so it wouldn’t be noticed by anyone but us. We gave my mother the heads up before the day. She didn’t seem to approve, but didn’t really argue. I think she felt that anything that kept the peace was all right.

 

Unfortunately, she forgot. Because every time one of us said "The cat wants to come in" (and it was often), Mom would yell, "Jim! Can you please let the cat in?" Then my dad would go open the door and nothing would be there. Then he’d get irritated with my mother and snap at her. And she would be confused and sad.

The cat did NOT want to come in.
 

My sisters and I found it amusing at first, but then we started to feel bad, because our aim was to mitigate stressful feelings, not cause them. We also found it somewhat empowering, and at the same time disturbing, that we were able to control our parents' actions so easily.

 

The next year, we wanted to do something different. We realized the "secret phrase" caused too much confusion. We needed something more subtle. And that's how "Christmas Bingo" was born.

 

(Continued in Part 2)

When your book comes out, Millie, I'll buy it, just like John's. But I'll actually read it.

My book just might have boob pictures.

My sister is writing a book.  Not the annoying sister, another sister.

Look, if you are going to Frost up my thread with your inane posts, the least you can do is give me some Zugz.

Awesome story, Millie! I can't wait to read part 2! It's like opening another gift!

Everyone has someone like your sister in their family. My sister-in-law is exactly the same. No matter what the conversation, somehow, she always turns every conversation around to be all about her. "Oh! That reminds me of a story of ME!"

The past is no longer the past when everyone is crowded into a small house. Old rivalries flare up; buttons are pushed unbuttoned. No one can get on your nerves the way a sibling can.

I like my introduction better. I think it adds a certain...'I don't know what' to the story.