Should I Pretend I Still Have a Job? Family Dilemmas

So, I got fired last month, and honestly, I’m still reeling from it. Every family gathering feels like a minefield—my uncles and aunts always ask about work, and I just freeze. Do I lie and say I’m still employed, or come clean and risk the endless lectures about responsibility? It’s not like I want to hide the truth, but the older folks in my family just don’t get why someone my age would be out of work. I told my mom, but not my cousins, and now I’m tangled in a web of half-truths. How do you handle this? Should I just fake it till I make it, or is honesty really the best policy here? I could really use some advice from someone who’s been through this. 😓 #CareerStruggles #FamilyPressure #Honesty #JobCareer