Reunioning with the In-Laws

Ah, the biennial ritual known as the Shelton Reunion. Not to be confused with the biennial ritual known as the Meyers-Shelton Reunion.


Hubby and I have planned the last two. Having set an incredibly high standard two years ago with a beach house in Nag's Head, NC, we "settled" for a Memphis reunion at a Residence Inn. Let's face it, after a private house complete with pool table, fooze ball table, pool, hot tub, and wrap around decks with the sound of the ocean lulling you to sleep at night, anything less is settling.


I restrained myself. It was difficult, but I took my smaller knitting bag with two shawls and three pairs of socks. What I really wanted to do was take the gigantimo knitting bag crammed full of projects that I could carry around with me like a security blanket. As it turned out, I should have taken just one pair of socks and the Butterfly Garden Shawl that is the current knit along project of the group.


I am not a huge fan of butterflies, but I will admit, the shawl pattern is simple, repetitive and soothing. Perfect for all that anxiety calming knitting one needs when one finds one's self trapped with the in-laws for an extended period of time. In my case, anxiety breeds obsession. The Butterfly Garden Shawl is perfect for obsessive knitting. Very soothing. Very calming. Very good for sitting on a couch knitting while rocking back and forth.


For those who have never been to a family reunion, there is a trick. That trick is to figure out who is playing which part in the family play and figure out which role is yours. The magic wand part comes in when you have to decipher what that role is because language is used not so much to convey meaning, but to hide it. For someone who is used to direct communication, this is the part that keeps me locked in the room with a bit of a headache. For someone who is used to direct communication, this is the part that keeps me dragging around my knitting like Linus drags around his blanket.

Knitting keeps me sane. Knitting keeps me focused on what I know to be real and true - that as an in-law, I am an interloper of sorts. These roles and relationships happened long before I appeared on the scene and I couldn't change them if I tried. Most of all knitting keeps me from saying anything too stupid, which can be an issue at times. With family, that can be the most important thing.