Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Holiday Horror Story

After weeks of making lists, checking the adds for sales, cleaning the house beyond immaculate, the day had finally arrived! Christmas Eve! It should have been a day of joy and blessing, but to her, it was a day of pressure. It was a test that she had passed throughout the years, but would this be the year she would fail? Her mother-in-law would visually inspect the house. Her father-in-law did his best to ease the tension. Her mother criticized the way she made the stuffing, because she didn't follow the exact family recipe. Her father just wanted to watch the football game. Her brother and sister-in law were late, which caused a disagreement between her brother and mother - who wanted everything perfect. Her sister, the one blessing to her, didn't show up, because she spent the holidays with her family. Then there were the nieces and nephews running around the house, teasing each other........She lost it, and shouted, "CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!"

Since I’m always working, my best holiday memories are definitely 
when I can just go home and spend time with my family. 
–Chris Brown 


Sharing the holiday with other people, and feeling that 
you’re giving of yourself, gets you past all the commercialism.
– Caroline Kennedy
 



The term 'Happy Holidays' seems to have been replaced by 'Holiday Horror Stories.' Come September, the holidays seem to blend together and get shoved out into the stores. It seems that Christmas decorations come out near the end of September...sometimes even before the Halloween decorations come out. As far as Thanksgiving, you might as well hang it up. In the middle of all of that, we have the hustle and bustle of preparing for family to come to the house, or for holiday travels to their house, creating havoc of Biblical proportions! There is not enough caffeine to help some moms through this time blessed, yet stressful, time!
In looking at our own family, we have decided to scale it way back this year. We are blessed and have decided that family is a precious gift that is invaluable. This is the one time of the year, after all, that the entire family gets together as a group. Yes, we see various parts of the family throughout the year, however, this is the one time we are all together, and that is the best gift any of us could give.
To ease the tension of the holidays on my sister-in-law, the various family members are bringing a portion of the meal with us, and keeping Christmas to a minimum. To ease the Thanksgiving meal on my mother, I've decided to have it at my house, allowing her to have Thanksgiving 'off' this year.
In looking around this holiday, can you take some pressure off the head cook or the meeting house of choice for the holidays? If not, be prepared to leave the espresso on the counter and back away slowly!
Make it a Happy Holiday this year, instead of a Holiday Horror Story :) 

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