Some families, maybe, would response to the news of a change in relationship status of a close family member with a calm, friendly, "Nice to meet you!" recognizing that the relationship choices of a fellow free-willed adult are all their own and don't really have anything to do with you. My family prefers to respond to such matters with great amounts of dramatic speech. After nearly 6 years of peace and quiet, some other guy has braved the infamous 75-question application, and I'm left with the responsibility of accepting the fact that my baby sister now has a boyfriend--a boyfriend who attended all the family Christmas gatherings, no less! I've learned that this acceptance process comes in stages:
- Shock
What? How could this happen? Okay, I mean, she's gorgeous and she's the nicest person in the whole entire world--but she lived on this side of the world for 11 years and not one guy noticed that (or if they did, they never said anything about it) and now she's back in the USA for 4 months and this happens? Americans...
- Despair
But she was going to live with me and be my live-in nanny and take care of my kids when I wanted to go on a date and stay up late with me and watch all of my favorite tv shows with me because there's no one in the whole world besides her who likes every single tv show that I like. Who will weep over the Downton Abbey finale (or its future counterparts) with me now that she'll never be my live-in sister. And now I'll never get to design her wedding dress because I had to sell my sewing machine. Boyfriends are the worst invention of all time.
- Curiosity
Who is this guy? Facebook stalking time!!! Interviewing relatives who have met him in real life time!!!
- Competitiveness
Hmmm...I see he's a runner. Could Angel beat him in a race? They'll have to race someday, and I'll make Angel train harder than he ever has before for that race. Darn 8 year age difference...
- Comparison
Back in my day, we didn't share a Facebook profile picture until AFTER engagement. And Angel didn't come to any family holiday parties till AFTER we were married. (Please, don't let anyone remember or point out to her that we got engaged after 3 months...when I was 18. Please!) It's a good strategy to only compare the points that are most admirable and honorable from your own relationship. Completely ignore any aspects that are a little more shady or scandalous in your own past.
- Scheming
How can we turn this to our advantage? Lovestruck guys are known to spend a little more money on their lady than random old friends and family members. Let's tell him if he wants to be accepted he needs to send us a package containing Nerds, SweetTarts, Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers, Gushers, and Tressa Xtremers Blue Semi-Permanent Color (found at Sally's Beauty Supply) if he wants us to like him. Make it a big box, and we'll be quite won over. It's just hard to root for someone who has never sent you packages of candy and bright blue haircolor, you know? (This is what the haircolor looks like--blue. Remember. If you want to throw in a purple, too, I won't complain).
- Blogging
Pretty much a necessary step of processing anything, right, my fellow veteran bloggers?
-Advice Giving
Make sure he knows that Mom and Dad HATE being called Brian and Cindy by 'kids'. Mr. and Mrs. Never call him first. You spend your entire marriage calling your husband to find out where he is or to tell him that he left his wallet at home or to pick up cream cheese on the way back, and you don't call for fun anymore because that uses up the pre-paid credit on your cellphones...so enjoy the time when he calls you. Make sure he knows what it's like to live in a developing nation and love it. He'll only truly understand you if he understands Malaysia. And not the stupid tourist handbook Malaysia, the real Malaysia, where strangers stop you to tell you you'd look prettier with long hair instead of short hair and the babies who call you "Aunty 'Na" and jokes about #trulypineapple and horrible durian and the family who stays up way too late and the friends who refuse to leave your house because they think they are family too.
And just think, we only have to do this at least 5 more times...
I don't even want to think about how I'll handle it when my little sisters start dating. Hopefully this post will help me adjust when the time comes.
So excited for your family (or sympathetic?) haha. :) Tell your sister I'm happy for her!
Haha "scheming"-that's hilarious :) That's very exciting for your family and sister! Oh, and I completely agree-when one is a blogger, one must process most life events through blogging. I can't count how many times that I've sat down to write a post with only a vague notion of what I want or need to say, and suddenly, all my thoughts are laid out in a 1,000 word ramble haha.
hahaha your reaction is hilarious! are you the eldest? or in the middle. is it nice having so many sisters? I was an only child so I have no experience on siblings but I am very familiar with Facebook stalking haha
Haha, I can only imagine how it must be to see a baby sister growing up! Love your reaction! And what a beautiful family you have! Happy Thursday!
LOL! This is great. Although I don't have any little siblings, my nephew and I are quite close in age and he tells me stories about all his little crushes... as he grows older I can't imagine what it will be like to see him date! Ahh!
It's just weird to see younger siblings grow and become adults in general, right?!
Ha ha! People grow up. Terrible but true : )
bisous
Suzanne
Aha aw I love this - you're too cute. Being the eldest of three, I know exactly how you feel!
Little sis is growing up. :')
Christie's Take on Life. x
Hahahaha!! Hilarious...I can't even!
Ha! Facebook stalking is ALWAYS step 1 for me. Are you the oldest? I hope that candy and hair color makes it your way soon ;)
I'm sure she appreciates that you are looking out for her best interests...even if you'll be won over by her suitor with hair dye and candy. ;) Love the post! SO cute.
Hahaha! Justin really only has one requirement. I am the oldest in my family, therefore, Justin is the oldest (he's older than me) and the big brother. I'm also the tallest of the siblings at 5'7" and Justin is only 5'9". My sisters are 5'4" and 5'2". Justin has declared that anyone they date seriously cannot be taller than him. Hahaha.
LOL!! I love your honesty in this! So refreshing and such a fun post!
LOL this is too funny!
Ha! Very accurate. My little sister is the last of us 4 kids to marry, and we feel bad already for her future boyfriend. He will had a lot of us to deal with!
*have (typing while feeding so...)
I have been the baby of the family, being the youngest. Now I know what my sister went through when I was at your sister's stage lol
Hahahah I love this! I'm going through the same thing right now! My younger sister has a boyfriend for the first time, and I'm like, who the heck is this guy?? Gunna be meeting him this weekend, and I'm super excited! Thanks for sharing! xoxox, Kayla www.lostgenygirl.com
Aww. She's growing up! I think you're handling it quite well actually!
OMG when I saw this post I could totally relate! My little sister has a boyfriend and he's sooo cute and the nicest kid ever - totally approve but it's just so weird seeing my sister have a boyfriend! Granted she isn't exactly little - she's 16 - but still little to me!
Ha!! I can SO relate! I went home over Christmas and met my sister's first pretty serious boyfriend...oh the emotional rollercoaster!!
Oh my gosh, I can't imagine my little sister having a serious boyfriend! I do not think I will handle that well! I will need to borrow that 75 question application! :)
i dont have a big age gap between me and my brother, it was really weird when my brother told me he was DATING...i was like what? how do you even know what that is.
Sounds like your little sister is growing up right before your eyes!
Sweet! I love how deliberate you are about this new boyfriend. Does he know how lucky he is to be part of a big, fun, interesting family like yours? :)
My little brother literally went from never having a real girlfriend in his life to getting married in a blink. I wasn't prepared. Haha
-Shelly :)
Baaah! That's probably exactly how it will go with my parents as well. I can totally see that as a thing opposed to a, "Oh, congrats!"
Love this post! It reminds me of some of my brothers' reactions when I brought my now-husband home. Although I think they had an even harder time accepting the fact that their baby sister had a baby! lol.
Post a Comment