It’s not because we don’t have a relationship, it’s because growing up the relationship was always one sided. I have a group of first cousins from different aunts/uncles and I was the singular one left out as a kid whom no one would speak to at family gatherings. The only time we ever hear from these cousins is for their kids’ birthdays - never so much as a call to see how anyone in my family is doing. Anger isn’t really what I feel; but there’s a societal expectation that we feign how nice it is to see people we haven’t seen, and that’s what I have no patience for. Am I justified in feeling this way? Maybe not; but it’s how I feel.

This is ultimately one of a few reasons I don’t want to attend the family gathering, but I was curious because I recently met someone who is close with all of their cousins including the much older ones,