Does anyone else slowly dread the "family christmas get together" ?

[tainted_chimp]

Even though my family (excluding my freeper brother) are actually nice people, I never feel really comfortable with the whole holiday thing, and consequently end up drinking one too many glasses of holiday spirits.

Anyone else have that vague yucky feeling?

And feel relieved when its Dec. 26th?

[Padraig18]

1. nope!

I love getting together with them! :)

[UrbScotty]

2. Our family gathering was today.

I actually liked it.

[mlawson]

3. Do you have to go????

Would anything terrible happen if you didn't?? Just explain that you will come by after the holidays.

[tainted_chimp]

5. Yes,

it's a big no-no in my family to even think of not being there. So I go every year, and it's always the same feeling.

[mlawson]

7. Okay. I do understand.

The TV version of "Christmas Joy", with EVERYone having the best times in their entite lives, is just a fantasy. It might help you to remember that, next week.

My family does the reunion thing in June, which is a very different experience: we can sit around outside, picnic, go for hikes in the mountains nearby, etc. I am very glad it's not this time of year.

[tainted_chimp]

9. Wow, what a cool idea...

*reunion-ing* in the summer months. Actually, being outdoors might make all the difference!

:)

[jonnyblitz]

4. I am relieved when it is january 2nd . n/t

[Bronco69]

6. I usually look forward to it

because I only get to see them once a year. Any more than that though, and I would go nuts. :-)

[Bunny]

8. I usually enjoy the family time.

But this year I'm ambivalent about it. I live about an hour from my family, which isn't real far, but I am just not in the mood to make the drive this year. At least not on Christmas Day.

I'm tired of all the running around and other preparations that have become necessary before Christmas. I don't feel like rushing around even more on Christmas Day too.

And this will be our first Christmas since Dad died, so I'm not looking forward to that either.

Sigh.

[tainted_chimp]

10. So sorry about your dad bunnyj :(

It makes it clearer why you might be feeling ambivalent about the gathering. It isn't easy to feel the normal good feelings when you're missing someone that you love so much. Actually, you have hit on a huge part of my reasons for feeling the way I do. Neither one of my parents are around anymore, and it just isn't the same without them.

:hug: Hope your Christmas will be better than you think it might be.

[Bunny]

11. Thanks for the kind words.

It's much appreciated. I hope you get through the holidays okay, too!

[Gloria]

12. I live with a freeper mother, so Christmas is everyday here!!!!!!!!

It's disgusting.

And I'm so glad I live 2000 miles away from my brother and his dippy cult-Christian wife, too. They are impossible.

[tainted_chimp]

13. LOL Gloria!

Yikes! You've put it all into perspective!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

14. We had a great family Christmas get together last Sunday.

Everyone came, we ate, we laughed, I got to hug a bunch of little cousins whose little lives have been horrible lately because their mom and stepdad had just been busted for drugs and had basically been without water or pretty much anything else for over a week. I was really happy to see them. Their dad has them now and they seem happy. Holding them just made me realize how special they are. And thank God they're ok.
We hadn't had the Christmas get together in three years. The last one we had was back in 2000 right before my sister died. Then last year, my aunt died, so we haven't really been in the Christmas spirit for some time. But this Christmas we needed it.
Duckie

[Hogarth]

15. I can take or leave the actual get-together ...

... but the 520-mile round trip from Michigan to Wisconsiin and back always stresses me out. Feeling flu-ish, I doubt I'll be making it this year.

The only person I really care about at these events is my dad, and I can always talk to him on the phone from across Lake Michigan. Driving for five to six hours is something I just can't look forward to just for a plate of ham and some cheese and crackers.

Even here at home we're scaling the holidays down. It's been a bad year, and it just doesn't feel like Christmas.

[dawn]

16. Yes! I just got back from one today

We have Christmas with the in-laws the weekend prior to Christmas. My BIL is Bill O'Reilly's biggest fan, and thinks I'm the devil because a) I'm not Christian b) I didn't vote for Bush and c) because I don't want to be like his wife and have tons of babies. His wife actually said this today: " I used to love watching Ellen De Generes' talk show." (Ellen was discussed because we bought her daughter the Finding Nemo DVD.) Then she said, " Until I found out she was a lesbian!" Nice one. She went on to say more choice words about lesbians.

During these dinners, I always wonder how my husband ended up so normal!

He also bought his mother that $29 Koss DVD player from Wal-Mart. You know, the one all those people plowed over that lady in Florida for? Sure, he has the right to buy it, but, ugh... It's probably a piece of crap. I wanted to go out and buy my MIL a real DVD player, that won't crap out in a year, but I didn't want to offend them. :)

And then there's my family, who we see on Christmas. My dad's a total wingnut. We respect each other, but I won't discuss politics with him on holidays. Ever.

[KCDem]

17. I wish I had someone to spend it with.

Husband, 2 kids, and I are all alone in Houston. My family is in Cali, his in Atlanta. We don't know anyone around us who doesn't have their own family to celebrate it with. Cooking a turkey for 4 people, 2 of whom will barely eat anything, is hard to get excited about. And hell, it isn't even as much fun to get drunk with only my husband! :P

on edit: rephrased it so it didn't sound like my kids (ages 2 and 4) were getting drunk, too. :evilgrin:

[Lisa0825]

18. I wish I HAD a family gathering to go to....

My parents are both deceased. My only nearby relative is my brother, who has conveniently forgotten that I exist and I don't have the extra cash for airfare to visit my sister in Maine. Same story the past 3 years. I guess I am very lucky to have close friends that are like family to me, that I can spend holidays with, but it really makes me resent my brother.