So, FI and I are both new at our companies, which means that we're on the Christmas crew (in my case, the Christmas crew consists of me). Which means that, while we will obviously have Christmas itself off, we have to work through the rest of the holidays, and don't get to take any leave then. So instead we've decided to take our leave next week and visit my family for about 10 days so we can do Christmas stuff with them. We're staying with my dad and step-family, because they have room for us and no one else does, and we'll also be holding a wake for my dad's mom who passed in October.
While our exact dates weren't set in stone, because the HR lady at FI's office was on extended study leave and he couldn't submit his leave forms until she got back earlier this month, we have been planning this trip, and specifically our Christmas lunch with my mom, bro, sis and FBIL (sis's FI, to avoid confusion), for weeks - MONTHS, even. It is supposed to happen this Sunday.
Last weekend my brother sold his car and bought a new one. It was 20+ years old, belonged to my grandfather's company, then my grandfather himself, then my aunt, yadda yadda and seeing as he travels a lot for work, he really needs a reliable car. Thing is, the car was given to all three of us, me, my sister, and my brother, jointly. But seeing as I don't drive (I had epilepsy as a youngster and developed quite a serious anxiety wrt driving, which I am working on) and my sister drives but doesn't actually have a license (and also got a car in her divorce settlement), bro has had exclusive use of the vehicle for close on 5 years now.
The agreement was always that should bro decide to sell the car, he would "buy us out" first. He didn't do that, which really doesn't bug me at all, but sis had a total screaming hissy fit. Now bro says that at some point sis "waived her rights" to the car, which I know nothing about because the agreement would have been between the two of them. Bro has since paid me out for my "share" of the car. Which, btw, I didn't ask for because I care more about his safety than about a couple hundred bucks.
Somehow the whole situation blew up, and now my sister isn't talking to my brother OR my mom, and neither of them are talking to her. Sis has said she won't be joining us for Christmas lunch at all now. I have to stop by her place on the way to lunch to pick up her presents for the family, and then on the way back to drop her presents from the family off again.
So bro is offended that sis seems to be "only interested in money" and not in his well-being. Sis is offended that bro thinks that she's only interested in money.
Earlier in the year, when sis got engaged, mom sat her down and told her that while she loves her and will be happy for her happiness, she doesn't approve of sis's FI and feels she's making the same mistakes over again (i.e. marrying a man who is remarkably similar to her first husband). While sis was rather unhappy that that was how mom felt, she was prepared to accept it as just mom being a mom.
Since this whole car debacle though, sis is now refusing to invite mom, bro, or our grandparents to her wedding because "mom tells them stories about her and always makes her out to be the bad guy".
And I'm stuck in the middle, playing Switzerland and trying not to upset anyone because a) I don't want to lose anyone in my family over silliness caused by other family members and b) I work for my sister - she is my direct manager, and I have to work with her even after this whole thing is a distant memory.
I keep telling everyone that this will also pass, and things will get better. Unfortunately, my family is completely BSC, and in a week or two there will be another drama over my bro not wanting to hang out with the step-family, or mom using the "kids" (all of whom are in their mid-twenties, just btw) in a "war" against my dad, or my sister being "tacky". Lather, rinse, repeat.
This whole thing is just stupid.
Long story short: my family "Christmas" lunch is ruined because my siblings are behaving like 2 year olds who can't/won't share their crayons, and I'm predicting drama down the line for both my wedding and my sister's...
Anyway, ladies, do YOU ever feel like your family belongs on All My Children?