S/O what was your relationship with your aunts and uncles

[Anonymous]

I felt that mine cared about me but they didn’t remember my birthday or anything like that. They came to major graduation events and birthday parties. I didn’t expect much more from them. How about you?

[Anonymous]

None. My parents were a mixed relationship. My white side were bigots, and harassed my parents over it. They never showed any interest in us whatsoever. And most are still alive and well in their 80s. I never hear from them.

My brown side was overseas, so we never saw them.

Sometimes I beat myself up about not being a "good enough" aunt because I missed the backyard birthday (but still sent a gift, card, sincerely engage with them when I see them). The bar is low from what I experienced, but I definitely know I at least try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I felt that mine cared about me but they didn’t remember my birthday or anything like that. They came to major graduation events and birthday parties. I didn’t expect much more from them. How about you?

Same!

[Anonymous]

I didn’t have any expectations. They were there in holidays. My mom traveled often with her sisters and their kids so I know her side a lot.

My dad has 3 sisters and all 3 sisters had boys (I’m the only girl). I always felt a bit left out. Never invited on the girls trips with my grandma and never invited to hang with the boy cousins either. My dad really is left out though. He lost his dad when he was young. His mom and sisters have girls trips 2x a year.

[Anonymous]

On my mom's side: None. Two of her brothers died and I never met them. When I was a kid her remaining brother was great, as was his wife. They fell on hard time, mental illness developed, I see them rarely.

On my dad's side: Goodish. One of his brothers is a monster so I avoid him, but his wife raised good kids so I'm friends with my cousins. My aunt remarried and decided she was done with all of us. His youngest brother is my favorite uncle, I regularly visit him and my aunt. They're both sweet, fun, and very cool.

My favorite "aunts and uncles" are the ones who aren't related. They're some of my dad's best friends and have hung around since the 70s/80s. One of my dad's friends is from "the old neighborhood" and went to kindergarten with him in Brooklyn, she's my favorite "aunt" and we hang out on our own sometimes.

[Anonymous]

I am very close to my mom’s sister, we talk regularly, and she always sends gifts to my kids (she has a bunch of her own grandkids too, and she is very close to my mom). I barely knew my dad’s sister, but she lived overseas and they had a cordial, but somewhat distant relationship.

[Anonymous]

When we were growing up we spent a good amount of time together because my parents were close to their siblings with the exception of one. But once we were teens we rarely saw them but I certainly have fond memories.

[Anonymous]

I don’t live anywhere near my aunts and uncles and I’ve only seen them at weddings and funerals over the last ten years. But, I’ve always liked them and my cousins.

[Anonymous]

My aunt is a flake, jealous and downright nasty at times (I’ve seen it), all around a hot mess. If I didn’t know I wouldn’t believe my mom was her sister. I keep her at arms length.

[Anonymous]

I have a very cool aunt who I’m very close to and always have been. She is extraordinary and so supportive of me and my siblings and cousins.

The rest of my aunt’s and uncles I love but am not close to.

[Anonymous]

Moms family is overseas so never saw them. Dad was the only and youngest boy in a family of girls, and my grandmother died in childbirth with him. My aunts basically raised him and dote on him to this day. By extension, they all dote on me too (only child). I am close with some of my cousins but most of them are much closer in age to my dad than to me.

I feel bad for my mom though. I feel like my father basically expects women to wait on him hand and foot because he has 5 sisters who do so.

[Anonymous]

We had family gatherings once a year or so where uncles/aunts gathered and they’d swing by a few times a year to see my mom. Few remembered my birthday.

Their was money uncle, always slid a crisp $20 bill.

Ancestry aunt, who answered any questions I had about the family and our history.

White Aunt, she looked just like me but white, huge heart and had a husband that didn’t speak English, but also had a huge heart.

Comedic Uncle, not too close to him but he had the best jokes.

Mean Aunt, I saw her the most and grew closest to her kids.

They never gave gifts(except $$ uncle) but they gave so much more. Especially if they had kids, I grew especially close to my older cousins. Closer than my siblings!

[Anonymous]

I had almost no relationship with mine. As an adult I became close to my father's sisters whom I genetically take after and could easily be a third sister.

[Anonymous]

I only have two aunts but am close to both of them as well as their husbands (my uncles). I have been going through some rough times lately and my uncle has been a huge supporter and checks in on me all the time. I’ve travelled with them, many times with both aunts at the same time. I feel very lucky to have them in my life. I see the one aunt far more often because she lives closer but feel close to both of them. Both are in their early 70s but one has had some pretty severe health issues. It’s terrifying to me to think about life without her.

[Anonymous]

No relationship at all.