When's the wedding? We can do a virtual toast in honor of the happy couple.

October 11!

It is outstanding that his future family-in-law sounds so great.

They're all ready to take them in if my dad cuts my brother off financially. I'm really glad. I was also ready to help my brother so he wouldn't have to, you know, drop out of medical school.

P-C, are you really surprised?

Not really. But my brother and FSIL were still taken aback by how volatile the reaction was.

They're all ready to take them in if my dad cuts my brother off financially.

Wow. Seriously good people. That's excellent.

"You are invited to come celebrate that Greg and I will live together and have many children. P.S. if my mother attends, the celebration will include us getting married first."

Love it! My cousin's husband was in medical school when his family disowned him for marrying the Evil Catholic woman. They both worked hard and suffered for many years but he finished. I'm glad they repaired the family relationship, but it took a very long time. My cousin converted to Judaism when they had children and raised her children Jewish. It honestly had nothing to do with his family. It was a decision they made together. Their bunch of kids have married Christian and Jewish spouses, obviously without interference from parents. One of their sons married a doctor and they decided he was the better parent so he quit his job to raise the kids. Homeschooling, cooking, and the whole house-hubby thing. I'm sure his parents independent thinking and strength in the face of controversy helped him be more open minded when making that decision. Still a tough decision for men to make even when it makes sense.

I have a cousin that was being stank about her daughter's wedding. I'm geographically removed--the key comment I remember was "Well, if we're lucky she'll die before the wedding."

That was the cousin, re her daughter.

It's a damned shame the marriage didn't work, because I was rooting for that shit like nobody's business.

Are camel farts particularly rank? Do they crap while they walk? I'm just trying to see the cambulance from many perspectives...

I'm going to a wedding this summer where a Muslim woman is marrying a Baptist guy, with a Jewish woman as officiant. The bride's parents tried to get the groom to convert, but he was pretty firm in his no. As far as I know, the only person not coming to the wedding because of it being interfaith is one of the bride's cousins, and that's because his mother said that he'd be obnoxious at an interfaith wedding, so it was better not to invite him.

My cousin's ex-husband, who was a non-ex at the time, as well as an Orthodox priest (since forcibly removed from both positions), threatened to be stank about her baby brother's wedding to an awesome Catholic girl; the main officiant, another Orthodox priest who'd known the groom's family since before the groom was born and had known the Catholic co-officiant almost as long, called him up to read him the riot act and threaten him with all sorts of counter-stank if he so much as twitched in a way the older priest didn't like. Then the bride called him and added her promise of total disinvitation from any family event ever again if he twitched in a way she didn't like.

So he showed up, shut up, and was thoroughly docile. Which was nothing short as a miracle, as he was truly a brass-dipped, nickel-plated asshole if ever there was one.

Possibly my family and their immediate circle should consider hiring themselves out to apply counter-stank as needed on behalf of stressed-out bridal parties, because they seem to be good at it.

Like having burly bikers show up at military funerals to keep the loonys away.

P-C, those shirts are awesome. I might have to get me one of those.

Teppy's response is on target, as others have said. I've probably told the tale of how my parents helped H and I elope after his parents refused to talk to him about me? In fact, his father went nuclear on him, in Ukrainian, which I don't speak, in the next room, while his mom and I sat and studiously avoided eye contact till he was done.

Seven years later, they called us. The relationship after that was close and warm and on our terms. I wish your brother the same sort of outcome.

seska, you've gotten excellent advice on the kitty. I wish him well with you, and the other humans and cats.

Erin, I hope your arm mends quickly and with as little pain as possible.

Teppy, how's your brother doing?

Ginger, did you find a glove that works? How've you been feeling today?

Cass, it's good to see you here. Thinking of you.

Sean, I'm glad you're feeling better today. Those midnight depths are very rocky, and I'm really happy you made it through.

smonster, good for you, and better sailing ahead.

The rest of you? Group hug!

I think bikers are awesome...they always help people in wheelchairs cause they usually have a friend from Da Nang(or maybe Kandahar) they may look scary, but they step up.Whereas, the person that looks like the clean-cut citizen fondles their phone and dithers.