Memories Monday -- The Fortunate Consequences of Too Much Information

Ever since gay marriage became legal in our state, the kids (well, Betsey and Cilla) have been after Janet and Kate to get married.  Janet’s excuse was that she didn’t want to live in the Rectory, even though she seems to be there all the time.

But now, after all the publicity has made it clear that Janet and Kate are a couple, the church ladies at Epiphany have been taking them aside and whispering, “Don’t you think you should get married, dear?”  One of the teenage girls told Kate that she had to set an example.  Naturally, Kate couldn’t bring out the old “it’s just a piece of paper” argument, since it’s part of her job to refute this whenever a couple brings it up.

So it looks like I’m going to be the mother of the brides, or at least one of them.  Ed’s sister Allison lives 600 miles away and she and Janet have what I call a “prickly” relationship.  Ed has stronger words for it.

“How does she feel about Kate?”  Nikki asked me when I told her and Karen about it.

“Well, whenever she talks to her mother on the phone, she asks how ‘Pastor Parker’ is, which she knows isn’t right.  A priest is either Father, Mother, Dr., Mr. Mrs., Ms., Miss or first name.  At family stuff, she talks to her, but doesn’t call her anything.”

“I never knew what to call Tom’s mother, so I haven’t called her anything for fifteen years” Karen said.  “I don’t think she’s noticed.”

“Plus, she never forgave her mother for the divorce,” I added.

“But I thought he left her for another woman.” 
               

“He did, and that’s why Ed can’t figure it out.”  (Frankly, I think the only time it occurred to Ed to try to figure it out was when I asked him about it.)

“Allison is unconsciously afraid that because her mother couldn’t hold onto her husband, she won’t be able to either,” Nikki explained.  “And she takes it out on her.  Not to mention the classic mother-daughter rivalry.”

Ed said he was relieved to have everything clarified when I explained it to him.