Holidays & Families

[LKPike]

I've always got someone in my family on my case about "call your father!" on the holidays, but when has he ever called ME? sent me anything? told me happy birthday? so I'm expected to call the man and sit there for 30 minutes listening to some lecture about it being my fault we lost contact. it was over when i was excluded from his last wedding and vacations ((i was probably 10)) but my brothers and other family werent. thats when he stopped calling me, thats when I lost interest. he allowed his new wifes jealousy of me to rule him.
It really bugs me when people think otherwise.

*shrug* well thats our holiday family issue,

[chocolatepuppy]

I'm glad Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year. Luckily, we spend that with my family. Not that they're not nuts, but it's usually peaceful. ...Christmas Day, after dinner at home with our furkids, we head to my in-laws. That's when the fun begins...

Kim, we've had similar situations with my in-laws, this one not speaking to that one, many times over the years....

[catnapper]

Somehow I get comfort knowing I'm not alone!

Things were always "iffy" between hubby's sisters, but when his mom died? wow! The funeral director said in his 30 years of working with berieved families, his sisters were by far the WORST he's ever encountered. They take being witches to a whole new level

They keep saying we don't keep MILs memory alive... but we DO. We have Thanksgiving and Easter at our house just like they always did. We celebrate all the holidays just like they always did, with one exception: we go to MY mom's on Christmas Eve, which is the one family tradition we kept of MY side. I always had Easter and Thanksgiving with my family until I married hubby.... but do they stop to consider MY family might want ONE holiday with us??? Noooooo.

Things hit the fan last spring when son had that wonderful newspaper article. They FLIPPED out because the article did not mention MIL's influence on my son. We DID, but it is not OUR fault the reporter decided not to mention it in the article! You should have seen the LETTER (not even a phoine call or in-person visit) they sent to son about how disappointed they are in him, telling him how bad he is and what an ungrateful, selfish youing man he is. To know my son, you'd know that cut him right into the heart. Hubby feels they can say and do what they want to him, but don't attack his kids. We have avoided them since that letter.

In the meantime, the one SIL we talk to has been trying to talk sense into her sisters. She flat-out says they are soooo wrong, but kshe knows her stubborn sisters won't ever see it. Pity.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I think sometimes it is our expectations. I once remarked that I kept wanting a Walton family holiday when I have the Addams family for relatives.....

[CalliesMom]

We are spending Christmas with my family this year. My mom and handicapped brother flew out to Atlanta and I am heading out there tonight. It has been several years since we spent Christmas with just my family and it should be an interesting experience.

I get along with everyone; however, my mother and oldest brother have issues stemming back from childhood. My SIL dislikes my mother for similar issues and it's great fun to listen to everyone complain.

I think it should be a good holiday though and I'm looking forward to it. It seems like Christmas brings out the best in everyone in my family and then we complain later. I can live with that.

[lizbud]

I came from a large family with many aunts, uncles, and cousins. We
must be in the minority because we all got along very well.Family is very
important to us & we might not all agree on everything, but we are all
individuals, but we are family & we above all,love each other.Only in law
problem I had was a MIL who thought she knew a better way to raise
children than I did.She was from the "let them cry" school and I prefered
to let a baby sit on my lap during meals than cry alone in the bedroom.

[Toby's my baby]

I am so sorry to hear this, I hate when things like this happen.

My grandpa had cancer, and he made out a living will, and it was something about giving most of his money to my dad and three of his brothers (he has four) because they all worked really hard, and helped him out a lot, while the other was sort of like a baby, and didnt do anything. Well anyways, right before he did of cancer, his wife changed the will so her and the one son got all the money and my dad and his three brothers got screwed. well, a big fight broke out, and now i have a restraining order agains my grandma and my one uncle. It is very hard not to be able to see or talk to my grandma. I have had the restraining order since i was about 7, and it will go untill i am 18, then I have to go to court again, and they will deside if it should be "renewed or whatever. "

[CathyBogart]

Icky icky situations. The closest I've had in my family was when my grandfather molested me and my little sister. Some family members were furious at him, others were furious at ME for getting him put in jail, and things have never been the same since, it really killed some of the holiday spirit.

Oh, and be careful what you say about Witches, most of us are nice people.