It is always around this time of year you hear a car engine stop and then a knock on the door. Each and every time, you jump at the terrible noise at the door and you realize it is not who you dreaded it would be – not yet, anyway.  Then, on Christmas Day, you hear the engine and the knock once more…is this a bad sign, or a good sign?

Next thing you know, you are answering the door every five seconds and being crowded with hugs and questions like, “How are you?” For now, you are safe, but you wait to hear other wonderful things from your relatives. Get ready for the usual complaints and questions. If you aren’t, then get ready to sharpen your nails to claw out your eyes, because here we go…

“The way she says, ‘hello’ is really sarcastic,” said junior vice president Ian Pauchard of his bothersome female cousin.

These things tend to get people revved up and annoyed – not just from cousins, though. It’s not just what they say – it’s more about what they do. For example, they skip out on your birthday and show up for your other siblings’ birthday.

It doesn’t always have to be what they say or do to you, particularly. There are times when one of my relatives says something to my brothers or my parents that really gets me mad. It’s just a natural defense that we have to deal with.

“She yells a lot. Mainly at my dad.” said Joe Houde, senior, who feels that his aunt can sometimes get under his skin.

This often happens to me. Or, no… I’m thinking of the other way around, of when a relative sides with someone who is against you. That has happened to me a lot. You see, my dad is favored by my grandmother and whenever she comes over and we argue over something, she immediately flocks to his side.

This grandmother is the least of my worries, because I know she loves me and would do anything for me, unlike some grandparents out there that you haven’t seen for years on end and ignore you. I’m so thankful that I don’t have grandparents out there like that. I’d be clawing my eyes out on a regular basis.

However, there are other solutions, or coping techniques, that provide great alternatives to clawing out your eyes.

“I try to just sit there and just listen,” sophomore Katie Vivelo said.

Many times I just sit there and smile, nodding occasionally. After the family is gone, I vent to my parents.

“I just kind of ignore her or I will also respond sarcastically,” Pauchard said.

Sarcasm is a very good method if you are trying to get even with a cousin.

“It’s not easy, though.” said Vivelo.

Don’t get me wrong – relatives are great. I love my relatives. I mean, you have those relatives who are fun-loving. They don’t pester you with annoying questions or they don’t ignore you. Then you have those relatives who ask you about who you are dating or your weight. You also have those relatives who ignore you sometimes or all the time. Then, you just have relatives who are just plain weird.

Still, they are your relatives. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.