Pintobean- Glad I am not alone on this, I like your chant though - sometimes I think, 'I've been through a lot worse in life, I can get through this'

if this is any consolation: being a bridesmaid is a pain in the @$$! hahah i was asked by a girl i used to be closer to but have kinda grown apart from since we finished school, and it's more of a pain than anything. if you go through life without being one, at least know you're about $1000 richer for doing so!

I can completely relate. I've finally given up trying to please my fiancé's family, and decided to focus on how happy I am with him, but I have to tell you, the process really hurts. Again and again I would not be invited to "girls" events within the family. I put up with his Mom's passive aggressive comments about how it must be nice to go out to eat all of the time and not have to cook, and his sister's general disapproval. When we used to go out with my future brother and sister in-law, I would be completely excluded from the conversation unless my honey brought me in.

We all want to feel welcome and loved, and as hard as it is, we sometimes have to accept that not everyone is as open hearted as we are. Like I said, it's been a long, hard road, and I spent an awful lot of time trying to figure out what I had done wrong before I finally decided that it wasn't worth agonizing over. Now when I'm around them, I still try to be pleasant and polite, but I've lowered my expectations of what their response will be. Maybe one day they will accept me for who I am, in the meantime, life is too short to worry about people who only offer negativity.

***hugs***

HAHAHAHA, that is so true - I get that ALL the time (although we have started cooking a lot more at home - just recently in the last month we are doing really weel) BUT I SO have heard that comment a MILLION times!!!

Very well said.
I do try to do this, but sometimes it seeps in, ya know. I'll have to remember this and believe it more.

You know, I think I like being an observer too! Especially when I'm around new people, or people that aren't my close friends yet. I second the advice of trying a few new hobbies or classes, it's a great way to meet likeminded people!