Aaaauuugghhhh

Not sure how Charles Schulz spelled it, but I feel a bit like Charlie Brown right now, when he's sitting there yelling "Aaaauuugghhhh!"

My little sister is getting a divorce, after 14 years of marriage, and my parents are freaking out, to put it mildly. Sis is in Florida for a year-long residency in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and BIL is in Michigan (she chose the school when they lived in Georgia). Apparently things have been not-so-good with them for a few years now, and it's finally come to the surface.

She's always been a little more liberal/crunchy than the rest of the (conservative) family, and learning yoga, acupuncture, and traditional Chinese medicine have just emphasized that. My mother just emailed me to ask if I thought they were bad parents, like my sister does. Mom is apparently siding with my future-ex-brother-in-law, who is stirring the pot just a bit. Sis may change her name to something that isn't her maiden or married name, which I think will be an issue with dad. Heck, it's already an issue with Dad. Mom thinks she's being brainwashed, but I'm not sure by who or what.

Anyway, from the undertones in this little email conversation that she and Mom have been having, it wouldn't surprise me if Mom pushes so far that Sis cuts ties altogether. She's already said she'd never move back "home" or even to the same state. (Of course, we both swore long ago that we'd never live within shouting distance of any family. We grew up a half-mile from our grandmother, and it wasn't pretty.)

Oh, and my 85-year-old grandfather is having a hip replacement in two weeks. I'm just hoping he survives the surgery.

I am so not looking forward to our next weekend visit.