Sunday, February 18, 2007

She likes me, she likes me not

Eric's mom distributed Christmas presents at dinner tonight. These weren't from her, but from Eric's aunt, who lives in Atlanta. I've met her a few times. The first time she said little to me at first, then came to me later and said, "I'm sorry I've been so cold to you; you look so much like someone I don't like very much." Subsequent meetings have been while visiting her dying husband, but despite that she's seemed to like me and be happy that I'm going to be in the family. So these presents: Eric's mom, and Eric's sister, and Edith, and Edith's daughter Michelle, all got jewelry. I got a mezzaluna, a moon-shaped two-handled knife meant for mincing herbs. I'm not sure what to think of this. It's not that I'm displeased not to have received jewelry; I don't wear much and I probably wouldn't have much use for what she picked out for me, considering what the others got (pretty, but not my taste). But I'm pretty sure she doesn't know me well enough to know that. So did she get me this (admittedly interesting, though hardly essential) kitchen tool because she took the time to either think that I'd like a practical tool or ask Brenda or Edith what I'd like, or did she pick out something at random because she didn't feel I deserved the same kind of gift as every other female in the family? (Note that Edith and Michelle are not technically family. I mean, neither am I, but that will change in three and a half months. Edith and Michelle's status won't.) Or did she decide that if I should kill her nephew, I ought to at least have a nice sharp implement to do it most quickly and painlessly?

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

I'd say, and this is just me, maybe she is trying a bit harder to welcome you to the family?

Unknown said...

I suppose that's possible, too. :) I'm not terribly worried about this, and I do like the knife, but it seemed funny at the time.