Here we have Parker, on the left, and Evan, my younger grandson, in all their goofy, teenage- boy-glory. I think I'm naming this photo Fourteen going on Four.
Cyrus, the new graduate, and girlfriend Maddy, at the house after the graduation was over. Cute couple, huh? Miss M will graduate next year. Cy is off to University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He's a pretty stellar young man - good grades, athletic, no drugs or alcohol, and nice - even to adults. See?? Hope for these younger generations does exist.
And this would be the whole Fam-Damily after graduation. Front row is Evan, Jeremy and Jordan (Jeff's twin's) and Faye (Jerry's wife). Back row is yours truly, Monica, my daughter and the mom of the graduate, Ray, the dad of the graduate, Cy, Jeff (who I guess we'll call my pseudo-son) and Jerry, the ex, the father of the kids, and all that.
These family events can be trying or at least threatening when you have divorces, blended or perhaps pureed families involved. But, I've discovered the reality of "if you don't feel it, fake it," and I put it to good use on this trip.
With Jeff not speaking and referring to me to Monica as "your mother", and Faye essentially not speaking to Monica (unless we call "it's mahogany" speaking), it could have been really ugly. I decided in advance (as apparently did everyone) to simply fake it as best I could. And, we got through with surprising ease. Funny thing is that once a person - OK, let's say once I - realize that someone else's bad behavior says nothing about me, but tons about them, I really don't need to react to it. And, given credit where due, Jeff was just as good at the faking it.
On my husband's side, I cheerfully call his ex-wife Sally my "wife-in-law". I really see no reason after years and years for ex-wives or -husbands and current versions to be hateful to one another. And, even with the offspring, there has to come a time of just accepting the status quo one would think. Sadly, not everyone sees it that way. While I'm having fun, there are those allowing old events or imagined events to rent space in their heads! Yuk.
Not to leave out the grand-pups, we have Bella, Tucker and Bear. Guess who thinks he's the boss? Guess who is really the boss?
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