Another Oldie But Goody!

Because I really don't know if I'll be able to post while I'm away, here's another oldie but goody.  Originally posted April 2009.

Good Luck Gerrit

My sister, Mikol, recently got married over Easter Weekend, and me being my amnesic self, completely forgot to bring my camera to all the major events, ie. the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, the reception, etc. I did however, remember to bring my camera to the Easter Egg Hunt at my other sister's house, and this is a picture of the happy newlyweds.

Does Gerrit look a little shell-shocked to you?

I started thinking about him today and about his entrance into the Vorwaller family.

I am the youngest of seven kids, 1 boy and 6 girls. My older sister died when she was still an infant and so it has always been just the 5 of us girls. The "SISTER'S" are as follows, in order: Theresa, Yvette, Kolette, Mikol, and me. We are a loud obnoxious bunch when we all get together. We can make each other laugh til we pee our pants and we can make each other cry til it feels like our hearts are about to break. I would do anything, ANYTHING, for my sister's. I would lay down my life for them. We have a bond that surpasses all harsh words, bridezilla moments, and thoughtless acts.

All of us have very strong personalities. We are independent by nurture. Our parents taught us to take care of ourselves. They stressed the importance of common sense and practical know-how. When we all started driving the Patriarch made sure that we all knew how to check the oil, the tire pressure, and how to change a tire. They taught us how to balance our checkbooks, save money, and basically be smart with our finances. Above all they taught us that where friends may come and go, we will always have our sister's.

Each new male that has entered this estrogen dominated clan has had to pass under each sister's withering judgment to see if he could pass inspection. Each time we wondered, are you good enough for my sister? Upon approval, the next question was raised....can you handle a Vorwaller? We are not an easy group to deal with. Our razor sharp sarcasm can cut you to the core and no goof up, no matter how small, will escape our desire to have a good hearty laugh at your expense.

Gerrit, being the brave soul that he is, has married the most independent of us all. Mikol has two degrees, owns her own car, and her own condo. She has traveled to Spain, BY HERSELF, and has been supporting herself for years. She has been living life happily single for some time now and the fact that Gerrit got her to settle down is an accomplishment. However, for the most part Gerrit has had very limited contact with Mikol's extended family. He knows Yvette and her clan pretty well and him and I have had numerous conversations on the phone, but other than that, Gerrit's foray's into Vorwaller family functions is uncharted territory.

This makes me wonder, as Gerrit begins his safari into the Vorwaller jungle, can he handle it?

Can he handle the Christmas breakfast that sends the weaker ones running to the bathroom for relief? Can he handle late night card games that get loud and at times vicious (ahem...flicking my head YVETTE)? Will he go to bed and wonder when is Mikol going to join him or will he realize that he will long be in snoozeville when Mikol finally calls it quits with cards? Will he be able to accept the fact that if he does ANYTHING wrong one or all of us will inevitably hear about it and will mentally put him on the naughty chair til he redeems himself? Can he handle the humor and jokes at his expense, which are bound to happen? Will he be able to accept that our parents can do no wrong, and that the Patriarch can do everything? Will he be able to hear "My dad said, and my dad does it like this", without shuddering in dismay? Can he deal with sister-in-laws who occasionally wander around half dressed? (We try to keep it modest, but hey it happens...ask Mitch) Will he realize that Mikol can say mean things about us all she wants to him, but if he utters one word in agreement or comes up with a comment of his own he is likely to be in the doghouse for days? (Nobody is allowed to talk bad about the sister's, except for the sister's...that's common knowledge.)

I truly hope that Gerrit is able to tackle this rough, fun, lively, and loving terrain with dignity and grace. Well, maybe not with too much dignity and grace, otherwise what would we sister's have to laugh about!

Good luck Gerrit and Welcome to the Jungle!