The letter from Doris arrived. Below are selected quotations and my commentary. A week after she sent the letter, she sent me a gardening catalogue and a National Geographic magazine.
No. I do not know why she did that.
I think we need to start anew after I offer our read on how the tensions began. You should tell us your recollections.
Right. Because my telling them all the reasons I don't like them would be soooo productive. They would understand everything, agree, and apologize. Then they would change their behavior.
The most significant factor in our initial qualms was reading your blog. We were probably too quick to form judgments before we even met you.
You think? (PS It wasn't this blog.)
I know from Primo that you were very upset about our negative advice to him about marrying you-your likes, politics, and religious views seemed so divergent from his. Plus we know that Primo was often an easy mark. His marriage to Isabel (which we STRONGLY opposed) turned out to be what we had feared...
No apology for telling him not to marry me. No "we were wrong." Just "we know you were upset."
Sly, of course, wouldn't listen to advice on not marrying his first wife. He was but 19 and Melinda was 23...She even bought the engagement ring! It took me a long time to build a relationship with some of Sly's relatives and the initiative was all mine.
That is, screw you. I had to suck up to them so by God, you'll do it to me.
We would be happy to thaw the ice that has separated us and develop a friendlier relationship. We doubt that we could ever agree on what seem to be some of your world-views.
Well, I demand that everyone share my opinion on things, so I guess this is not going to work.
When we were together, you always appeared chilly, guarded, and rather judgmental.
Maybe because they were trash-talking everyone else in the family?
We don't know if you found us welcoming open, rigid, or just old fogies.
How about mean, vicious, drunk?
We've always felt that you were worried about Primo having responsibilities to us in our dotage.
That is correct. My concern is that they have failed to act and Primo will be stuck with doing everything. So far, my concerns have been valid.
