Re: RE: Christmas Dinner 2005
(quoting Cosmo)
I find it so much less stressful and I truly enjoy it now, but it took till my 40's to finally realize I could have whatever kind of holiday I wanted. I just had to speak up and tell people no. No visiting, no gifts, just phone calls. Being Christmas doesn't give people the right to my time and my home ... in fact the Yule is a personal celebration for me and I've finally begun respecting my own beliefs. That's a gift in itself!
(end Cosmo quote)
Three things:
1. I love the name 'Cosmo'... it's my dad's nickname (some folks call him Cos' or by his given name).
2. I have sometimes thought that I would feel better and less stressed if we did not 'do' the extended family Christmas scene. However, my mother usually flys back here to the U.S. southeast twice a year, and with Christmas week being one of her visits... I would hurt the old woman's feelings not to see her on or near Christmas. I actually find buying gifts quite burdensome psychically, shopping excruciatingly tedious and would gladly dispense with it, but again... the womenfolk in my family really seem to get in the spirit of giving and they would give to me whether I gave to them are not. I truly appreciate your position though Cosmo, when I was married and had two step-children we often did our own purely nuclear scene.
3. I don't have kids... it has occurred to me that I had better keep fairly close to my nieces and nephew if I want a visit in the old folks home when the time comes! I don't want to be one of those old foggies getting the charity visit from some do-gooder pretending far too much appreciation and tolerance of the crusty old bastard I will almost certainly be.
Cheers,
Borderline_Chatatonic
P.S.
Most women I know say forget about visits from the nephew. Most men can hardly be bothered to visit the homed elderly.
BC
(quoting Cosmo)
I find it so much less stressful and I truly enjoy it now, but it took till my 40's to finally realize I could have whatever kind of holiday I wanted. I just had to speak up and tell people no. No visiting, no gifts, just phone calls. Being Christmas doesn't give people the right to my time and my home ... in fact the Yule is a personal celebration for me and I've finally begun respecting my own beliefs. That's a gift in itself!
(end Cosmo quote)
Three things:
1. I love the name 'Cosmo'... it's my dad's nickname (some folks call him Cos' or by his given name).
2. I have sometimes thought that I would feel better and less stressed if we did not 'do' the extended family Christmas scene. However, my mother usually flys back here to the U.S. southeast twice a year, and with Christmas week being one of her visits... I would hurt the old woman's feelings not to see her on or near Christmas. I actually find buying gifts quite burdensome psychically, shopping excruciatingly tedious and would gladly dispense with it, but again... the womenfolk in my family really seem to get in the spirit of giving and they would give to me whether I gave to them are not. I truly appreciate your position though Cosmo, when I was married and had two step-children we often did our own purely nuclear scene.
3. I don't have kids... it has occurred to me that I had better keep fairly close to my nieces and nephew if I want a visit in the old folks home when the time comes! I don't want to be one of those old foggies getting the charity visit from some do-gooder pretending far too much appreciation and tolerance of the crusty old bastard I will almost certainly be.
Cheers,
Borderline_Chatatonic
P.S.
Most women I know say forget about visits from the nephew. Most men can hardly be bothered to visit the homed elderly.
BC