If you are like me, you live far from your extended family. For most of my life I lived in the same place, just a scant 80 miles from my parents’ brothers and sisters. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were always spent in our own home, and if we traveled it was well after the gifts had been opened and breakfast eaten.
My husband’s experience was much the same, and his entire extended family lived in the same metro area. However, as the child of divorced parents, he was much more acclimated to traveling to different households on the holidays.
The first few years we were married we also lived in my hometown, making it simple to split the time. But now we are 700 miles from our nearest and dearest - and we have a toddler. So we travel for about 10 days, making the most of our limited time.
One of the hardest hurdles for me was the fact that our daughter would not have that traditional Christmas morning. After a lot of arguing and fighting, I finally gave in to the idea that we’d be on the road that special day. So as an alternative, we celebrated Christmas on our own timetable, at home. On Monday, Dec. 19.
Although it felt slightly odd to open gifts and rummage through stockings on a randomly chosen date, the Christmas morning I wanted for The Poo did become a reality. She woke up to a pile of pretty packages under the tree and she spent the day in her sweatpants playing with her loot.
The longer I am married, the more I really understand the concept of compromise. And I am finally coming to understand that Christmas is more than a date on the calendar. Christmas is any day of the month, any time of the day - as long as you are with the ones you love the most.
[tags] Christmas, Holidays, parenting, compromise, traveling[/tags]
Spectacular photo by Bruce Denis via Flickr.
3 responses so far ↓
Megin Hatch // Dec 19, 2006 at 6:00 pm
We travel for every single holiday, too. It is very different from when I was a kid. I used to wake up, open all of Santa’s gifts and then run to my Nana’s house (2 houses away) still in pjs, then hours later we’d head to the other grandparents- all of 20 minutes by car.
This year I am heading to see my family on Thursday. We’ll camp out with relatives until after our big family celebration on Christmas Eve. Then we’ll jump into the car and drive the 5 hours home so that the Punks can wake up here on Christmas morning.
It’s a lot of traveling. My family celebration is something I won’t give up. My kids at home is something I need this year. The window where kids are old enough to “get” Santa and when they well, you know. It’s a really small window and I plan to savor it.
Happy travels to all!
Kara // Dec 20, 2006 at 2:27 am
That’s so great that you found a way to compromise!!!
Chris Brogan... // Dec 20, 2006 at 3:45 am
When I was a kid, we’d drive all over creation celebrating Christmas. We’d start at our house, go to my grandparents’ house, and then start visiting friends. I remember vividly a Christmas where we had seven stops. I felt like a king.
This year, we’ll go to my parents for the 24th, and probably stay home on the 25th.
Kat’s family is in Canada, so that’s why we don’t shuffle it around. Maybe in 2008.
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