Dear Grandpa

Dear Grandpa,

I love you, but I am tired of having family reunions. I do not claim to understand why you even want them when you aren't able to attend the events for very long.

We will not be coming to the most recent even as dictated. I am tired of having all of my trips planned for me. We can only afford to travel so much in a given year and I would rather go on vacation with my family than have to attend one more family function instead. Besides all family reunions do is create contention. There's the fight over who gets to be in charge, the confusion and disagreements over where people are going to stay, and the problem of trying to avoid offending anyone else in the family by something you say or do during the duration of the event. To me, family reunions are worthless and frustrating, but maybe that stems from all the slaps in the face I have received lately from family members over familly get togethers and family reunions. It doesn't seem to matter how hard I try, I'm just not worth much to any of them and everything I say and do is misconstrued to make me out to be the bad guy. I don't really feel that family is worth it sometimes unless you all grew up together to start out with. At least then you have some history with them instead of just a blood relation and they are people you actually want to spend time with. Grandpa, I don't belong anywhere, I'm just there. I'm sorry, I wish I felt differently, but that is the painful truth.

I'm tired of trying and giving and hoping and believing that something will change. I don't want to be someone who just takes up space and is a number to count as an accomplishment, I want to feel like I belong and I am important. I think I'm of some value, aren't I?

I love you, Grandpa, but I am done with family reunions, period.

Charlynn