that old black magic called family

i admit it. i'm a sucker for a glimmer of family bliss. that's why i'm shelling out for my parents to come visit me at christmas, even though there is likely to be Drama, although likely nowhere near the likes of this last turkey day. they're poor, they're in horrible health, and with each holiday i wonder if this could be the Last Chance to see them. especially my dad.

the thing is, i used to have an amazing relationship with my parents. they were seriously my best friends for many years. moving around more than a jitterbug in a warp core will do that to you. then when i came out to them, my sister was suddenly the Good Sheep. it's taken a few years, but they've gotten to know min and i think love her, and accept who i am, too. there was lots of Drama for other reasons that i don't want to get into today, but most of those have been worked out, it seems, and we are mostly on the road to Happyville as a family.

but that's the thing. it's not constant, and during any visit, something will pop up to remind someone of The Reason You Keep Pissing Me Off/Make Me Want To Avoid You Like The Plague. maybe this is just the human condition. you make me mad, you apologize, we move on. at least that's what we tell ourselves, until the next fuckup. and there's always another fuckup because we are human.

well, here's one for hoping this visit goes better than all the previous ones. i actually do have good hopes for it. then again, i always start out that way.