by Maria Robles

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: June 06, 2009

Ever seen the movie "Meet the Fockers"? Ben Stiller being the son of Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffman, that was a pretty hilarious flick. Okay, it's a sequel and usually the originals are better but this one I really liked. And I know it's because I have my fair share of family members by blood and by association (just to be impartial) who "kinda, sort of" fall into the embarrassing relatives class.

Admit it or not, you know you have one or two or more of these folks. They are out there! And you know what? It's alright! Sure it can be embarrassing especially when you're growing up and trying to look cool in front of your peers. Or when you found your soulmate and you're attempting to make an impression but your awkward Aunt Madge decided to spill the beans about your obsession with the pacifier for the first five years of your life - sharing your secret picture with your ladylove! I completely understand. We all have them, and I had my fair share of moments with them. Now I just laugh about those memories.

So what do you do when you have an Aunt Madge? Below are some suggestions on how to make things easier for everyone. Keep in mind that these are just suggestions; some may work, some may not. You have to take these with both a grain of salt and an open mind.

1) One word: WARNING. To those who will face or deal with your embarrassing relatives (especially if it's the first meeting), a good amount of caution done in a timely manner is advisable. Make it straight to the point and follow up with them so they won't forget. On your part, you have to know the real friends you can trust and who can understand. For those who might add more salt to the injury, you can forget about it.

2) Avoid meeting in places where sensitive topics of conversation can happen. Do you really want to get together at that French restaurant where you ordered escargot only because you thought it's some classy chicken dish, but only to get sick at the very sight of it? Setting the stage is key, people. Don't leave room for disaster.

3) You might also want to try talking to your family members. Firstly, you can speak to the one(s) who embarrasses you and politely say that his remarks/gestures are making you uncomfortable. If they say you're being an onion, tell them that you will make them eat raw ginger if they don't stop. If this doesn't cut it, perhaps you can seek assistance from those who belong on the not-gawky relatives list. They have two choices to help you out: (a) talk to the next of kin embarrassing you, (b) help you prepare the raw ginger.

4) In addition to avoiding meeting in certain places, how about avoid anything and everything that will trigger them to pull another number on you? This can be hard and frustrating because you might be avoiding... ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

5) Go incognito. "Who are you? I don't know you." Change your hair color, wear contacts, do something that makes you unrecognizable. Too extreme, I know. But you gotta do what you gotta do when the situation calls for it.

6) Don't go to war with your gun unloaded. You can't be the only recipient of pun in every occasion. Fill up and fill up big! You can call it payback or revenge. I call it sharing the fortune. After all, you and your dear Aunt Madge are from the same roots. Even if it's only by association, you can always reason out that things like these rub off easily when you're family.

If everything else fails, repeat this to yourself like a mantra: "Blood is thicker than water". You just have to remember that they are FAMILY. And these people you cannot replace no matter what. Not even if it's cousin "it".

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