My sister thinks 'bringing the vibes' is a valid contribution to a potluck.
By @yarakinda · Family
We do big family dinners where everyone is supposed to bring a dish. My younger sister consistently brings nothing and just says her fun personality is her contribution. I finally called her out, and now my parents think I'm wrong for making things awkward.
The full story
My family has a potluck dinner pretty much every other weekend. Everyone gets assigned something, or you just bring a dish. It's a system. It works. Except for my sister. She's 24 and for the last year, she has not brought a single thing. Not a side dish, not a dessert, not even a bottle of soda. When we ask her what she's bringing, she just laughs and says 'the vibes.' She thinks because she's bubbly and tells jokes, she doesn't have to chip in with actual food or money. Last weekend we had a family BBQ. I spent my Saturday morning making a huge potato salad and marinating chicken. My brother brought drinks. My aunt brought a pie. My sister shows up two hours late, empty-handed as usual, and makes a big announcement that 'the party has arrived!' I'd had enough. I just said, 'The party should've brought a casserole.' She got quiet and the whole mood got super awkward. Later my mom pulled me aside and said I embarrassed her and that I needed to let it go for the sake of family harmony. they said it's not worth fighting over, but it's the principle. I work a hard job all week and don't feel like I should have to spend my money and time feeding my adult sister who's too cool to bring a bag of chips.
How people voted
- OP Is Right — 30% (9 votes)
- Both Messy — 47% (14 votes)
- OP Is Wrong — 23% (7 votes)
Readers say “Both Messy” (47%) — 30 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@ellieish — Has anyone tried just assigning her paper plates or a bag of ice?
@vinceee — Is she struggling for money? Maybe she's just embarrassed and this is her way of covering for it.
@reeseyy — 'the vibes' have a market value of exactly $0.00.
@nialiterally — Honestly, good for you. It's not about the food, it's about the lack of respect for everyone else's time and effort.
@reeseyk — Next time I'd hand her a venmo request for her portion of the groceries right at the door lmao
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