1. This morning I received this photo of my father and sister, taken a couple of weekends ago. My father’s hair used to be auburn, hence the reddish colour of my sister’s dark hair. My mother was blonde – now greyey-blonde – which is why my brother and I are fair-haired. My other sister, the one with the back trouble, has darker hair, too.
I don’t know why I’m explaining this, other than that no one ever believes my sisters and I are related.
Personally, I think the family resemblance is strong – and strengthening as we age.
He probably looks like a perfectly nice chap to you, doesn’t he?
2. The sister in the photo is currently the only one of my siblings who is speaking to our father (other than me, and I’m only speaking to him because I’m thousands of miles away and can safely communicate with him via email).
Why are my brother and younger sister not speaking to our father?
Because 18 months ago my niece, Beatrice, was born to my brother and sister-in-law. My father not only didn’t bother to visit his first and only grand-child, the child of his only son, he didn’t even send a card or make a phone call of congratulations. He still hasn’t.
Inexplicable. I have tried, believe me, to come up with a plausible reason as to why he has behaved this way – but I am completely stumped.
My poor brother (who, by the way, is the kindest, most generous and best of all of us by quite some margin) is understandably upset and angered by this. Not just for himself, but for the perceived slight to his wife and daughter.
Nevertheless (and this shows you just how wonderful my brother is), when my father needed assistance recently and asked the above sister to help, my brother stepped in and helped her to help him. And insisted she not tell our father where the help had originated.
Seriously, its getting like an episode of Home and Away…
3. Which brings me to dinner last night with one of the cast of the aforementioned show. He’s the friend of a friend who prepared the roast dinner to end all roast dinners last night at her (much coveted) home. It was delicious and he was funny, sincerely in love and genuinely interested and interesting. So, that’s another one of my unfounded prejudices blown away. I always assumed all successful actors would be arrogant, vain and rather stupid. Not so, I’m delighted to report.
4. Oh, and yesterday I gave some detailed dating advice to a male friend. The irony of which is not lost on me.
“Just don’t get into the ‘friend-zone’”, said I, from so far within the friend-zone that I’m not sure I even remember what direction the ‘potentially-more-than-friends-zone’ is in. *sigh*
June 28, 2009 at 4:21 pm |
I think you and your sister look very much alike. Are people blind?
That’s so disappointing about your dad … people are just … inexplicable, sometimes.
June 28, 2009 at 4:57 pm |
David – you’re the first person (other than me) ever to see the resemblance
and yes, sometimes people are inexplicable, but its just so odd that it should be over something so simple – so normally joyous.
June 29, 2009 at 1:40 am |
I just mapped my family values on my blog. Don’t get lost.
June 30, 2009 at 12:55 am |
It’s the eyes and around the eyes, love. Two peas!!
Yer father’s a fool and he might LOOK like a nice guy but we know different. So his disguise ain’t working too well! And he’s a toe-rag to boot. Humpph. There, I said it.
June 30, 2009 at 12:56 am |
postscriptum ~
Your bruv is a nice guy, but as for being the best of the bunch, no, nein, niet and no. You are the best. You.
June 30, 2009 at 7:06 am |
I can see a resemblance. Perhaps the hair just throws them off. People usually take my brother and me for a couple before they realize we are siblings. Then again, we look almost nothing alike. Speaking of looking like things, check out my newest post, and see if you agree with me!
Your brother sounds like an amazing person, I hope your Dad works out whatever is bothering him and reaches out to his family. That’s rough.
June 30, 2009 at 3:04 pm |
T-woo, you’ve got me curious. Has anyone asked your Dad why he hasn’t acknowledged his grandchild? Or is it known, and I just missed it in a prior post?
June 30, 2009 at 3:27 pm |
Its got me curious, too. I have asked him… but as usual with my father, when he doesn’t wish to answer a question, he simply doesn’t.
It is truly mystifying.
June 30, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
Just speculating here, but how does your father feel about his daughter-in-law? Maybe the not seeing the grandchild is his way of expressing disapproval of your brother’s choice in a mate?
Oh, and yes, I too can see the resemblance. Handsome family you have there.
June 30, 2009 at 11:52 pm |
1. What Piereth said. The bit about the eyes.
2. Is there anything your father could say that would rationalise it? I doubt he really understands it himself. Possibly he didn’t know how to begin expressing enthusiasm, so didn’t, has left it shamefully, irreparably long – and now has no clue how to acknowledge the whole mess, let alone address the damage. Very like my approach to tax returns, but with the added penalty of lifelong emotional fall-out *ahem*.
3. Much as I love this man, believe me…he has his moments, and sometimes they take hours. He left at 1am. And he didn’t wash up.
4. Again with the iPhone…a GPS app to get you the hell out of the Friendzone (aka NoManLand)?
July 5, 2009 at 4:10 am |
I see it in the jaw and mouth as well as the eyes. I have a similar issue, my older sister is dark and I’m not. People don’t think we are related.
Families are a trip, aren’t theY?