My aunt always introduces me to her friends as "my husband's niece." Why can't she just say "my niece" even if it's by marriage? From my perspective it seems she trying to distance herself in our relationship.
by 
debodun
ANSWERS: 14
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i think she just wants her friends to know exactley who you are and from which part of the family :)
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Try not to be insulted she probably doesnt mean it like that.
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I would take it that way, too! Why do "people" need clarification?! Knowing me. . . I'd ASK her that, too!
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that would be awkward..call her on it..show a little spine
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I have a niece and nephew on my side and my husbands side. Because so many people know both sides of our family, when I'm talking about them, I have to clarify "my" niece or "my husbands" niece. I am SOOO much closer to my husbands niece and nephew than I am my own and view them as MY niece and nephew. If you are really uncomfortable about it just ask her. It may be something as simple as I just described.
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My husband's sister's kids are considered in my eyes to be his nephews and my husband is their Uncle. I have never been made to feel a part of these boys lives and refuse to be recognized as an Aunt. I will not consider myself to be an Aunt unless my brother has a child. Right now, a baby in a diaper at my wedding in 1986 is getting married this summer. Hubby's sister claims that "he wants his Uncle at the wedding".... no mention of Aunt.. you know what.. he doesn't know either one of us. I will be happy to send a gift.
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Communication is a WONDERFUL thing ... Have you ever went to her and ASK her if she would mind introducing you as "her niece" ?
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It is a little odd that she doesn't refer to you like that, but some people feel less comfortable about non blood relatives. Its like how you refer to some as your inlaws instead of as your mother
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Unless she is passive-aggressivly nasty in other ways, I wouldn't think anything of it. She probably just wants to clarify the relationship.
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If you consider your aunt a friend, let her know that this little thing is hurting your feelings. If she's a reasonable and considerate person, she will apologize, and she'll call you her "niece" in the future; if not, well, then you'll know to stop considering her a friend. If she isn't a friend, then accept it and move on. You don't have to like it, but it's not worth letting it bother you. Maybe she is trying to distance herself, maybe not, but does it really make any difference? There's little things my family members do that I don't like that I just have to grin and bear, and I get over it because they are my family and I love them, but we aren't close enough for me to want to change them.
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I have a coworker that finds it strange that I refer to my mothers sisters husband as my uncle. I find it strange that he thinks that way. People are raised differently, maybe you should just ask her!
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She speaks the truth. Any genealogy program has it cataloged that way.
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unless there is some other reason to believe she is being cold to you I would not take it that way. I try to be accurate when describing downward relationships. I am uncle thomas but when describing our relationship she is my wifes niece. no hostility. heck I refer to nieces/nephews on my side as my sisters children
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I understand your feelings. I dislike it when people do this, too. It's like when people refer to children as biological and adopted. I have an aunt and uncle who sign their notes by their first name without saying "uncle" or "aunt". I feel like you do like they are distancing themselves.
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