not to really relish the company of my extended family?

[IntergalacticHussy]

I just don't look forward to seeing most of them. i find pretty much all my cousins and aunts and whatnot really bitchy, competitive and just hard work really, whilst the men are there in the background (wishing they weren't, I expect) - in body but not spirit iykwim. And my mum is the worst: drip, drip, drip-feeding them all only the worst bits of my life so when i do see them once or twice a year they only seem to know about the negative stuff that's happened since I last saw them. Doesn't work the other way around, however, they're all allowed to have things like privacy and discretion and respect. It's a one way flow of information. Am I alone in feeling this way? It's like living in a goldfish bowl.

[WhereYouLeftIt]

YANBU. There doesn't sound to be much there to relish!

[TheProvincialLady]

It sounds like your mum is teh problem here. Why is she gossiping about you? Why are other people allowed their psivacy but not you?

[Kalinda]

Does your mother completely dominate these family gatherings, by any chance? Using incidents from your life to make herself centre of attention? Does she acknowledge (to you or anyone) the positive things that happen in your life, or is she only interested when things go wrong in your life?