Hey Sophie, did you see what Aunt Linda sent in the group chat? She keeps making fun of how we eat dinner so late here in Spain.

Yeah, Ben, I noticed. She probably doesn’t get it. In the US, 6 pm is normal for dinner, right? But she didn’t have to keep repeating it like that.

I tried explaining, but Uncle Paul chimed in and said, "Some traditions just make no sense." That set off Mom. She messaged him privately I think, because now she’s not answering anyone.

I wish people understood it's not about being weird on purpose. It’s just our normal. But then again, when you visit in July, you say everything is so noisy and crowded. Maybe we all miss stuff that matters to each other.

Honestly, I didn’t mean to make Uncle Paul feel bad last summer when I joked about his BBQ sauce. I just didn’t realize it was a big deal.

Same, I never realized how much coffee time means to your parents. I thought it was just a break. We probably all have these little blind spots.

Should I text the group and say something, or just let everyone cool off?

Mom just texted me. She said, "Family is messy, but it’s still family." That’s all she wrote.