Family Etiquette

Alright, it's a new day. Same as always, I'm not sure what I shall say...but I'll figure it out once it's said. Now this blog was, in part, inspired by the last blog..but I'll try to make it shorter. Now I have this way of thinking on the subject of the word ''family'' and ''blood relations'' that not everyone agrees with. In general, so many people have so many separate standards for their family members than they do with the rest of the real world. People will walk through fire for a blood relation and turn their heads on anyone else. Yet once we get married, to someone we're not related to (lol), we're supposed to treat them like family....as do we expect our families to treat them as such. So how come we can just turn this ''family'' treatment on and off. If the ''family'' treatment is supposed to be so exclusive, why can we just dole it out as we see fit. It's always seemed unfair to me and a little unrealistic. I'm a complete fanatic about things being fair for all peoples, so of course this subject gets me every time.

Why should I treat other deserving human beings different than I would treat my family? And why do we let family damn near get away with murder, but the common stranger looks at us funny and they're doomed. I think this habit of family favoritism makes up a substantial part of why our society is a little twisted these days. I mean, when I think of how many instances I know of where a person just never could learn a lesson because of their always forgiving family members...when I think of all the naive persons who never could gain their common sense because of protective family members...I mean I could go on forever.

For instance, you always hear of that one family member that just can't stay out of jail. Within that story, there's usually that forgiving mother, father, grandparent, etc. that keeps bailing them out. On the other hand, you're supposed to respect all family members. You're told respect your mother, respect your father, and so on. This leads me to an instance I relate to.

I've always been told how much I should respect my family members, and any time I even looked like I didn't...I was looked at like the devil himself. My mother's mother(grandmother) moved in with us when I was 11. I didn't know nothing about her nor did she know the 1st thing about me. However, I was supposed to respect her and do everything she told me without question...even though she was a complete stranger to me. She turned out to be a very difficult older woman whom I rarely got along with. She used to tell me things like, ''you're one the worst children I've ever met''. At 13 yrs old I was aware of her past with my mother and uncle and I found it amusing that she could tell me anything at my age considering she never raised a teenager. My uncle left her at a young age due to her alcoholism and my mother had been in a foster home since she was 13. But I'm supposed to trust this woman's every word. I didn't understand.

Second instance, I haven't seen my father since I was one. I personally got in contact with him at 18. I'm 22. Now I'm being told how much I should respect him and take his advise and go stay with him. He is a stranger whom I know nothing about...who knows nothing about me. Why would I do any of the above things? I respect both him and my grandmother for giving me the gift of life in a way....other than that....they are and were strangers....and I treat them as such. I'm looked at so wrong for this...I've actually taught my sister to do the same. Sometimes I hope I'm not completely wrong for this, I'd feel guilty for misguiding her in life if this were to be true. Either way....I just don't get this whole family double standards.....

Should family be treated any different then anyone else? Where is the line drawn?