As some of you may know, my step sister has recently moved in with me. So if you have heard this part, feel free to skip ahead.
First a little background, my step sister is 43 & has 23 year old twin daughters. Both of said chirruns are complete fuckups. One daughter, Niece #1, has 3 of her own little crotch critters by 2 different guys. All 3 boys are in the custody of the state. And Niece #1 is not making much effort in turning her life around to regain custody. I'm sure there is more to the story but this is the part that I know & I'm probably better off not knowing the whole thing.
Cue my SS moving in. After a couple days of her moving in, she started in on me about needing to adopt her grandchildren. I finally snapped & told her that it was never going to happen, so she needed to get that idea out of her little pea brain. I also said that if she brought it up again, she could pack up her shit & get the fuck out & not to let the door hit her in the ass on the way out.
She goes running to my step dad & proceeds to tell him some cock & bull story about me just going off on her for no reason & that I told her to get the hell out. So after a bug family "meeting", aka big, loud, screaming match, she admitted that she left out the part about the kids. After my SD ripping her a new ass about needing to respect my choices & decisions, that if she didn't like it to go ahead & leave. *insert mumbled apology here*
So now things are back to semi normal at the ranch, so to speak.
After all of this I got to thinking about familial obligations in such matters & about a friend of mine who was forced into taking in her brother's children.
While I think it is admirable to take in a family members children, sometimes it is just not feasible or is just not something one wants to do. But if the decision is made for you, like my friend, where does familial obligation end?
My friend & her brother weren't very close & both of their parents had died several years before. In a sad turn of events, both her brother & his wife were killed in a car accident. After receiving a call from their estate lawyer she finds out that she is now the legal guardian for his two children. After lots of freaking out on her part because her brother had never even discussed this with her, she finally comes to terms with it. To make it easier on the children (14 &12) she packed up her life & moved across the country to move into their home.
But my question to you is, could you do it? Would you suck it up because it's family? God forbid something like that should happen to my brother, & he decided I was the best choice to raise his kids. What would I do? As much as I love my nieces & nephew, I honestly don't know if I could step into that role.
Actually I think I'm somewhere like #2972 on the list of people to take care of his kids. I think he knows I wouldn't be a good parental figure for his kids.