2. Thou shalt tolerate the tiresome relative (at least for a little while).
3. Thou shalt not play footsie with a distant cousin or thy cousin's spouse.
4. Sniping and carping about a reunion's lack of organization is an abomination.
5. Thou shalt orchestrate spontaneous praise unto the reunion organizer.
6. Thou shalt agree to disagree, and steer clear of such topics as the Vietnam War, abortion rights, gay marriage, gun control, Waco.
7. Thou shalt not use intimate details of your kids' lives as conversation fodder. (Boasts of accomplishments are acceptable, but be discreet.)
8. Thou shalt not reveal devastating family secrets unless thou hast arranged therapeutic support systems.
9. Thou shalt not publicly criticize the bad manners or poor behavior of any child not thine own.
10. Thou shalt flatter thy kinfolk. All nieces tap dance divinely, all babies are beautiful and all aunts look as wonderful as ever.
Source: "Family Reunion," by Jennifer Crichton (Workman Publishing, $13.95)
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