Confirmation coming up...

[Serial Mom]

My great-nephew is being confirmed this weekend.

What do I do for gift? I am not particularly close to my niece - she is very materialistic and bacially was a mean daughter, until the last year to my now deceased half sister.

I don't know if I should give money or a religious gift. She, her husband and kids are not very religious - I think she followed through with her kids getting confirmed in her mother's faith out of guilt, whereas most of her life was attending the church and quite different faith of her deceased father, whom she did not even talk to the last 3 years of his life. (I know, I know, that side of family seems to be angry and dyfunctional).

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Great-nephew is pretty removed, relationally. Just send a card.

Doesn't sound like a very nice family, either.

Also, just to be a nitpick, I think you misused the word faith - it sounds like you mean to use "denomination", assumign that all parties were still Christian, though of differing sorts of Christianity. But they are all of the same faith. Different faith would be Jewish, Muslim, etc.

And seriously on the card - I couldn't imagine spending much money on a relation that far removed age-wise, and far removed on the family tree.

[RevCheesehead]

2. I agree.

I just hate it when people go through the "ritual" of confirmation, and have no intention of being an active member of the church.

I think a card is enough to acknowledge the day. Tell 'em their money is stored up in heaven. ;)

:hi:

[JVS]

3. bible and/or devotional tool

[Serial Mom]

4. Thanks for your replies...

My half sister was a very meek, 1950's young woman who let her husband (they HAD to get married in 1959) and her kids step all over her for years and years. She was a sweetheart and good person. She was 12 years older than me and was always my "big sister" no matter what. Although I became a young woman in the late 60's/early 70's and tried to tell her to speak up for herself more often, she just didn't. I miss her a lot.

And Rev, you hit it - the ritual of my niece having her son who is 15 confirmed (and I think her 2 younger children will go thru this too in next 2 & 3 years) is just that, a ritual. I was surprised to get the announcement and I have never heard them ever talk about church.

I think I will look for a small book of daily prayers or something similar.