Holidays and Family

Holidays are great. Family is great. Mixing the two? Not always great.

Every year, every holiday, my husband and I do what I like to call the "dinner dance". Where will be having dinner? Will we visit multiple places? What do we have to bring? What will we wear? And the biggest question: Can we make everyone happy?

Of course I want to spend the holiday with my family, and he wants to spend time with his. But we both understand that marrying each other meant we would also have to try to accommodate the other person's family.

The problem is different theologies. I believe in tradition. Let's do the same thing every year. Growing up, we went to one grandma's on Christmas Eve, and one on Christmas Day. No surprises, no running around.

The theology on the other end is a little different. We wait around and beat around the bush, and then plan at the last minute.

99% of the time, it turns out. I run around, schedule and reschedule, cook at the last minute, whatever, and we make it work. 1% we have an issue like this year where only one of our family members makes it to both.

Regardless family is family. You make it work when you can, and hope to God no one kills you when you can't.