Random Commentary

See, the situation of my niece living in the house of crowdage wasn't good because she needed attention, and she wasn't getting the right brand of it there. I'm not saying it's a bad environment, but it wasn't one that was working for her. So when I found out that her mom had moved without her, and that she would be living with her father,that sort of set up a conundrum. It was great that she was getting out of a situation that wasn't working for her, and her dad treated her like a princess (long story short with that description, you'll see) so for the short term this was a good thing. Only he's a dumbass, so this is not good long term.

The hubby wasn't at all happy about this when I told him, but it's out of our control and not our life, so we just sit back and watch as things develop. But whenever the subject would come up he would just bemoan how hard things would be for her and how it hurt him to know she wasn't doing well. I just take it in stride, because I know and understand from personal experience how the notion of family in this modern era is nowhere near what it was when he was young. Dysfunction is a given now. Instead, I just try to be nice. So I made up a couple of cute Easter purses to bring with me on my trip out. (I have a niece from each of my sister, BTW. This is only tangentially important.)

Now of course I have to make a call out to the fam to let them know I'm flying into town. I talk to my other sister, the usual chatty-chatty shit, and finally get around to asking her how often said niece comes around for a visit. It turns out that it's never. Not because her father is being a shit or anything, but that she's moved out of state to be with her mother. Well now, isn't that an interesting turn of events? This means I have to break into the box I was sending to Cali and take her version of the Easter purse out so I can send it separate to South Carolina. No address though, and like a bad little procrastinator I didn't call to get it until the day of my flight out. We'll skip the mildly amusing middle part of the story (except I must relate that my nephew - being the niece in question's older half-brother - sounds like a full on bubba now - it's hilarious!) and cut to my sister calling me while we're driving to the airport. It turns out that she loves it out there. Loves her job, loves her house, loves the area - just perfectly pleased to be where she is. Wonderful. I'm ecstatic. But still nothing about the niece situation. (Although it's not like I can have a lengthy conversation while I'm driving.)

Cut to me, at my mom's house, earlier this day. I'm telling her bits and pieces of the above, and she fills me in on the finer details. It turns out that the only reason my niece stayed back in Cali with her daddy is because he put a guilt trip on her about how he would be all alone if she left. The situation she ended up in with him was as bad as - no in fact it was most certainly worse than where she was before. And now he's being all pissy about the fact that she doesn't call him (he can't call her, cuz he has no long distance) when all he ever does when they do talk is put more guilt bullshit on her. Damn! The girl ain't even in her teens yet. So fuck that guy.

It turns out that she's doing well now with her mother. She's getting good grades in school. She's getting attention and dogs to play with. I have a feeling if she can get past some of the troubling inconveniences of her childhood she might find some of those inconveniences amusing in the long run. In any case, I'm just glad to hear that she is happy.