I voted neutral, for a few reasons, although deep in my heart, I’m closer to wishing they’d disappear. I am Christian and love my God, and for his sacrifice I am grateful. Remembering Him, and what he has done for me, are the positives of the season.
The negatives? I can’t please everyone, no matter how hard I try. As an example, last year, we went to visit my son and his wife for Christmas. Their jobs did not allow them to travel during the holidays and DIL even had to work late on Christmas Eve. But we got to be with them. My parents, who I offered to take with us, pay their hotel and meals etc, refuse to travel. Then they complained, to the world, on Facebook, that all their kids had abandoned them for Christmas. Mind you, were the only ones that live close (35 minute drive). My siblings all live at least a 12 hour drive away, as did my son and DIL. My daughter and SIL had their turn at his parents’ place, so they weren’t with us. So we’re publicly humiliated for trying to enjoy time with our kids, after offering them the opportunity to go as well.
Second, everything has become so commercialized. There have to be 10 gifts for everyone under the tree, and they have to be carefully balanced because someone has their calculator out auditing the value of the gifts.
Third, this year, DD and SIL want to come to our place...not the place we want to be at, but our second home. We may have to drive 4 hours thru a snowstorm to get there...and when they find out they’ve got to drive thru the snowstorm, they’re likely to cancel, as they have before, and that after we’ve made the preparations. At our main home, this would not be a worry. On top of that, my parents will be left alone again this year, because they won’t come, and even if they said they’d come, we don’t have enough facilities for everyone if they did. I don’t want to open Facebook on Christmas Day.
DW and I have already decided we don’t want any surprises under the tree...prefer to buy what we want, when we want it, and not have to deal with wrong size returns, etc. Next year, we may very well just fly off some where and hide for a month and not deal with the all the drama.
That, my friends, is why I voted neutral. I will not, I cannot turn my back on my God, but I can’t take the drama anymore either.
Edit to correct: my parents’ issue last year was not Christmas...it was Thanksgiving, but we were with our kids, 12 hours away, and they had refused to join.