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I blame two people for this.
Okay 3.
First my mother...b/c it's so dang easy to blame her and after all...she organized the whole shabang.
2nd the photographer. Fine. So we'd had a few great conversations about spirituality, his overcoming a drinking addiction and the fact that he and his wife were now leading a AAA meeting in town. And fine. So I was inspired to offer to attend one of his AAA meetings to observe his teaching style and offer my perspective. (He'd listened to my story about overcoming a few addictions and was inspired). And fine. So he complimented my big blue eyes, told me I had a healing way about me….but did that warrant his making me the tallest person in the photo???
Did he have to have me appear 3 feet (okay, maybe 2 feet) taller than my entire family, including my 6 ft 3inches stepdad in our HOLIDAY PHOTO?
3rd person: of course..me. I should have sooo said NO WAY!
FINE FINE FINE!
Hello. do you hear the angst of a 13 year old who was always too tall to dance with any boy during those horrific cotillion lessons my mother made me go to?...taller than everyone, even a few teachers?
I'm sorry. I'm venting. Here's the deal.
It was JULY! JULY! Yes the dang summer. DAY AFTER 4th of July to be exact. One summer ago...and we were all (me, my sis and her family, my bro and his family / kids and my mom/stepdad and all our dogs) at their home in Colorado. Not for Christmas ...nor for the 4th of July but for my stepdad's 60th. Fine. Good reason to gather.
What no one anticipated til like about two weeks before our arrival my mom would get the braniac to have a 'holiday photo session" 24 hours before his party. And she promptly calls all of us to arrive a day early. And then proceeds to tell us the uniform we must wear: solid long sleeved shirt, jeans, boots.
Hello. At the time I"m living in the Florida Keys. I'm not at all boot friendly have zero pairs (western that is) and am not about to go shopping for them in 90+ degree weather.
(All this angst is on purpose as my mother is actually my best friend). Her timing stunk. All of us had our travel plans arranged.
But try to say no to mom? Forget it. Doesn't work. My bro, sis, and I got on the phone and figured a way to get to their home in time for this photoshoot. (She made it sound like a huge deal, we couldn't miss it, blah blah blah, we're never altogether). And then she said the deal sealer 'but this is going to be our FAMILY Christmas PHOTO" and you have to be there!!! I can’t take a holiday photo without my children and their families!!! You are ALL MY FAMILY. So that's it. No more discussion. You are to be here wearing the right attire, at 3pm sharp! And Tresha, make up this time honey. This is our FAMILY PHOTO. See you soon and can’t wait! KISSES!"
Ugh.
Either I am horrible at not feeling obligated or my mother is queen of laying on the potential guilt. Probably a bit of both.
But like the siblings on the TV series Brothers and Sisters, it’s impossible for any of us to say no to mom EVEN when she’s being illogical!
So all of us arrive on time for the photo shoot (my brother has 5 in his family, my sister 4--3 humans and a dachsund, I have a dog so I’m 1.5). And we're dressed in the appropriate 'required attire.' Well, okay I admit. I’m the rebel. I showed up in flip flops not boots. I mean I had to show off my Key West tan, didn’t i? And my toe rings?
My sister's family chose a dynamite looking royal blue color for their 'shirt.' She her husband, her daughter and their dachsund….all in blue. My brother, my sister 'n law and their 3 kiddos and all wore red. I wore a burnt mustard color... and my Bichon was simply his Rastafarian lookin’ self. There was no time for a grooming.
But you can be sure mom’s Bichon was coiffed to the nine’s. She a darling dog but gets more pampering then most women! ☺
