Kardashian Family Lesson

Yes, it’s Kim hitting her sister. Oh my.

I have never watched the Kardashians. Not even once. I just can’t get behind someone like Kim Kardashian, whose path to fame began with posting a naked video of herself having sex. Nope, not my thing. And the rest of them? Not so much either. I keep asking people what exactly they have done to earn the admiration of so many, who look at them outside the window of that which they aspire to be.

I was on the phone with my fabulous sister, Leslie, about whom I often write.

“I have to go. The Kardashians are on.”

“I don’t understand why you watch that shit. It’s beneath you. They are beneath you.”

“Why do I watch that shit?! WHY? I’ll tell you why. Because they can get into a fist fight one day, and the next day they’re planning a joint kids' birthday party. That’s why. They understand that family is everything. They fight hard, but it’s over as soon as the shouting stops. Not like our family, where we don’t talk to each other for years. They can be themselves and know it’s fine afterward.”

And then she hung up. I was going to call her back but decided I’d wait a year or so. I don’t think you should hang up on family.

So instead I GOOGLED it, and yes, there was a fist fight between Kim and her sister on the air.

This was a while ago. A few months, but it’s come to mind over and over again. Time wasted being angry. Holding family grudges. At the same time, I don’t think a grown woman should hit her sister. End of story.

But I do understand my sister’s envy. I think the fear of repercussions being larger than the offense is a real barrier to being your authentic self and your family. My sister and I are both big personalities. After that conversation, when things get tense on a call, I now call her back within an hour or two, just to show her I can be like Kim Kardashian if that’s what she wants.

Ah, the quest for moderation in our responses. The only way there for me is to make my first response a deep breath. Hope springs eternal.