AUGH

[fox]

My family has begun squabbling over my grandmother's stuff.

She's doing a lot better, by the way. There's no estate to bicker over because the woman is not dead.

/o\

My brother and I are trying to figure out a non-nasty way to get everyone to knock it off.

Comments

[lexin]

Families, eh? Who'd have 'em?

In 1978 when my grandfather died, all his children promptly had a long dispute about the will.

I hate my family.

[fox]

I love my family. That makes this even worse.

[lexin]

I think it was the squabbling over the will which put me off my family, actually.

[thalia]

Oh, God, sorry. No fun.

IME, the best way, honestly, is if your grandmother decides who gets what, makes a list, and tells them all to stop. I don't know if she's up to that, though. I guess that's one advantage to Matt's mom's having so much stuff--most of his brothers' bickering was more like, "You take it. No, you take it."

[fox]

She's probably up to it, but she won't.

It's not as bad as it could be; mainly, one aunt is distributing things (not just among herself and her children, mind) without sufficient consultation with everyone - which means feathers are ruffled when everyone weighs in. Sigh.

[la_rainette]

...

How about you just forget about non-nasty and say things as they are?

As Sacha Guitry would say, regardez comme cette famille s'entend bien. On voit bien qu'elle n'a pas encore hérité.

[fox]

Nastiness would just make it worse, is why.

It seems to be settling down now. Everyone's being much more careful. Thank god.

[la_rainette]

Good. I am sorry, Fox. This truly isn't fun.

I am glad your grandmother is better though!

[mecurtin]

omg. Maybe you can take comfort in the fact that this kind of behavior is something human beings have done since the dawn of time?

The family of J, one of my best friends, set my personal baseline for "how bad could it get?". The final stage in the fight over division of her grandfather's stuff was when her uncle sent her father half of the grandfather's *ashes*. I found this quite comforting when I was helping my mother & her sister divide my grandmother's things, because at least it wasn't as bad as what J went through!

yeah. Have a cookie, you'll need it.