Family Gatherings – Love Them or Loathe Them? [POLL] [VIDEO]

Well, now that you’ve had a chance to digest the Easter lamb, ham, (which by the way was the number one voted “Meat” for the holiday); or brisket; do you look back upon this past family gathering with fondness, or with frustration?

Families are the backbone of society.

However, much to my dismay, and to the dismay of many, families, for whatever reason are falling more and more by the wayside.

Could be because of the desire for some members of any given family to seek “wide open spaces”.

Could be because families grow so big; that it becomes impossible to get together all in one place the way it used to be.

Or it could be that you all just can’t stand being with each other.

Pity isn’t it, the latter?

But, suffice it to say, that’s the way many families are today.

Separated by petty matters…some dating back to childhood; some of more recent vintage, like one member liking another for one reason or another.

I look forward to family gatherings.

However since we all have 2 families, mine truly is a “Tale of Two Cities”.

My wife doesn’t have much family to begin with; and to get them all together is like trying to split the atom. Nearly impossible.

One has plans to do one thing; the other doesn’t want to leave the house. (You get the picture).

And she takes it all upon herself to try and please everyone.

I always tell her, “…babe, if not for you, the family would fall apart.”

She sighs, and resigns herself to the fact that holidays will be threadbare to say the least.

Now, on the other hand, there’s my family.

They’re like something out of central casting.

The world ends at the Outerbridge, and there’s nothing else going on if it’s not reported in the Advance (the Staten Island local paper.)

Last night, while we were all waiting for the 6th course of the meal to arrive…(my kid sister broke her ass cooking, as did my other sister and my mom); I came up with a new Jeopardy category. “Things the Rossis Would Say”.

Here's how it works…I’m the contestant.

Me: “Alex, give me “Things the Rossis would Say” for a hundred.”

Alex: “Answer: The place that doesn’t have as good a selection on Forest Ave as they do on Amboy Road!””

Me: “Alex, I’m gonna go with ‘What is Top Tomato’”.

Alex: Right you are for a hundred.

And so it goes.

While there are times I feel like the stranger who came in from the cold…fact is, they’re blood; and I’ve seen too many families fall apart for stupid reasons.

I'll give you an example.
I have a cousin who, despite us having been close growing up, doesn’t talk to anyone.
The one time I did call, you’d have thought Moses himself came down from the mountain to deliver the 10 Commandments…that’s how happy he was!

Shouldn’t it be that way all the time? (Rhetorical Question!)

Listen to the words of Stevie Wonder’s song, “These Three Words” and tell me if they don’t ring true. (I can't listen to this song without crying!)

So with that, the posse poll:

Family Gatherings…do you love them or loathe them.