Do you feel obligated to go to an event for someone who is related to you?

**magnolia** · 07-12-2008, 10:56 PM

I used to go to all the family events because I didn't want to hurt my mom and dad's feelings by being absent. Now since they have both passed on I feel no obligation whatsoever to go to gatherings of relatives that I hardly know.

That is the only upside that I can see to being an orphan. I am free now of any obligations to go to these awful, uncomfortable events.

I will however go to funerals. Not sure why but it seems weird not to attend a relative's funeral whether or not I liked them.

**suki** · 07-13-2008, 09:04 AM

My family is really close and so is hubby's family. We do a lot together because we respect, love and care for one another, not because we are obligated to do so. I've been obligated to do a lot of things I didn't want to in the corporate world... and I'm done with that. Compared to that, doing family things are a blast! I totally love being with them, always plenty of fodder for great stories.

**C@rol** · 07-13-2008, 09:08 AM

I agree totally with you (OP) and my families situation is much like yours. I don't obligate or force myself to attend family functions of people I'm not close to or get along well with.

I will send a gift or card to them in we are fairly still in contact on a consistent basis. But no I don't push it.

**Drgnfly423** · 07-13-2008, 01:12 PM

I always guilt myself into doing things, and I feel terrible if I don't go. I don't know if that has to do with my age (28) or if it's just embedded in my personality. Only time will tell! LOL.

**MommyBliss** · 07-13-2008, 01:15 PM

No, I don't, not at all.

**larabelle** · 07-13-2008, 03:51 PM

No, I don't go and I don't feel obligated to go. I love all of them but once my grandparents died I no longer felt a real connection to them. I would not know my cousins if they walked down the street and passed me.