Crazy, Insane and Just Plain Dangerous

Holidays with my family are usually interesting. There are dynamics involved which I cannot possibly explain but those who know me well know my family is a bit on the crazy side. All in all, I would say Thanksgiving went very well. No one got in a huge fight, no one angered Jackie and we all ate well except for Elizabeth who is coasting downhill into an eating disorder and the awkward way her parents handle anything abnormal is only making it worse. *SIGH*

Anyway, speaking of Elizabeth...the girl is dangerously outspoken. After years of my stepmother being a tyrant and exploding at the smallest thing, my sisters and I are - naturally- very careful not to set her off. Elizabeth, being her full daughter, apparently has none of the fear my sisters and I do. She announced to her mother sometime before Thanksgiving that no one likes her stuffing. When her mother replied that everyone likes her stuffing Elizabeth said "No, Keri Shelly and Rhonda all hate it, they've said they hate it." Uh oh. Now Jackie thinks we've been sitting around and discussing her cooking... this is likely to set Jackie off. So, naturally, when Jackie calls Keri to ask about said hatred of her stuffing Keri replies "She's lying."

The desire to protect oneself is fierce. Normally, my sisters and I would never throw Elizabeth under the bus like that. We might turn on each other but we're generally protective of the kid. When she goes courting danger like this... she deserves what she gets. My brother in law even made a point of telling Jackie that he's always liked her stuffing.

Now naturally, no one thought to tell me about any of this so when I show up to Thanksgiving, I'm completely unaware that Elizabeth has ratted us all out. When they start talking about it, I'm clueless and have to ask and Jackie launches into the story. I'm dumbfounded. I can't remember what Jackie's stuffing TASTES like, only that it's got big onions in it that are undercooked, but surely I can't say THAT. So I say "I don't even remember what it tastes like." Elizabeth groans and everyone laughs. Thankfully Jackie was good natured about the whole thing and was laughing it off or we'd all have been dead. My sisters and I made a point of telling Elizabeth that if she ever does that again, we will again throw her under the bus without thought or remorse.

Here's what gets me: We are all adults. How is it that one woman can still inspire so much fear? We're not children anymore and we don't have to stay put when she starts in, and yet we all live in fear of upsetting Jackie. How can one person be so mean so as to still instill fear in three adults? If you really wonder, then you've never met her and that's about as much of a defense as I can muster.