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Relationships

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Contact from cousin

3 replies

wanttobeleftalone · 30/12/2024 14:24

Looking for advice about what to do..
I have a cousin, lets call him John (not his real name). He and I are have never been been close, in fact he was quite a bully to my sibling and I when we were kids.
John grew up to be in an out of trouble with the police, and had some very far right and racist leanings. For reasons I don't fully know (as we're not close), all his immediate family disowned him and cut him off.
Being a polite and "nice" (some would say too nice for my own good) person, I'm now the only person in the whole extended family circle who will give John the time of day, even though I try my best to avoid him. It's usually easy to avoid him because we don't live nearby and and don't have any friends etc in common.
For the last years (since his eldest child flew the nest and cut him off), John has been sending me letters in the run up to Christmas, gushing over how much he loves me and how I've always been his favourite cousin (there are over 30 of us cousins on that side of the family). Saying how nice it would be to spend Christmas with me etc..
I've never responded as I don't want the contact, let alone have him at my Christmas table.
He indicated in this year's letter and Christmas card that he'll "drop by" to see me and "catch up" over the holiday period. I'm dreading every time the door bell rings or a car pulls up outside. My DP knows how I feel, so will answer any knock at the door and tell John I'm not home.
How do I get John to stop this yearly contact and gushing letters of how I've always been his favourite? As I say, we've never been close and he was the kind of cousin I only ever saw at wedding or funerals.

OP posts:
Pinkbonbon · 30/12/2024 14:27

I'd move house. Job done.
If it's worrying you enough to do so.

Chances are he's not going to show up if he never has though.

PokerFriedDips · 30/12/2024 14:44

Sounds like moving might be the only full solution but that's a bit of a sledgehammer-to-nut kind of thing.

Your current strategy of zero response and making sure you're "not at home" if he does turn up uninvited is your best bet. Also have a few backup plan "appointments" in mind (think of something for daytime and something else for evening) so that if "not at home" fails you are going out in 10 minutes so can only have a quick chat.

The alternative, which I think would be less good than what you are already doing, would be to write back with a bit of non-aggressive honesty. "I'm sorry that things have broken down between you and other family members. Although you and I haven't fallen out, I don’t feel we have a lot in common and I don’t think we need to spend a lot of time together. I'm happy to stay on each other's Christmas card list and I wish you well but please do not turn up uninvited, I would find that stressful and upsetting."

CeceliaImrie · 30/12/2024 23:04

He might just be lonely and angling for a invite. If he hasn't already turned up then I doubt he's going to now.

Just remain as far as arms length allows without cutting him off entirely.

Card at xmas job only.

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