christmas (tat) number 12 - and when you have finished killing each other...
By jb78000
@jb78000 (15139)
December 22, 2009 6:35am CST
many although not all of us will have at some point experienced the christmas fights. unfortunately there are many relatives out there who turn nasty after one eggnog too many, then you have got competing sets of inlaws, siblings at war and quite possible at least two people who have decided never to speak to each other again. except through a third party. loudly.
worst i have experienced involved the grandmother i have mentioned before (borderline sociopath) - was at war with the other grandparents and later very nasty to her grandchildren. she is now in a nursing home and christmas is happier without her sulking because she hasn't been spoken to for 3 seconds. we felt obliged to include her though, now she won't know it is christmas.
so how about you - do you have any tricky relative situations and how do you ensure peace at christmas?
and this is the final tat i am starting, and here is the final obligatory song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ukRkaUbMo
1 person likes this
3 responses
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
22 Dec 09
After the atrocities of the last few parties this year, we have happily decided that we are not going to spend Christmas with any of his relatives except the in-laws. Neither of us wanted to go in the first place, but I insisted on going to try to keep the peace and make an effort. That did not work, so now we are happily telling them exactly where they can stick that mistletoe.
- what happened at these parties?@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
22 Dec 09
People being rude, ignorant, and having a "holier than thou" attitude is just the tip of the iceberg. It would take me forever to fill you in, and you probably wouldn't believe half the stuff anyway, because I had a difficult time believing that supposedly well-educated people could be so (insert a bunch of expletives here). One of the most annoying parts is that they say the stuff behind your back but loud enough for you to hear but are nice to your face and do it during a party so that you can't call them on their crap without making a scene and ruining the party. One of my favorites that is a recurring theme is that they say (behind my back but within hearing distance, of course) that I should stop being so lazy and go out and get a job. Then, they turn around and say in the next breath (to my face) that it would be wonderful if more people could afford to be stay-at-home moms like in the "old days" because that would be better for the children.
One of the worst ones, however, is when they compared my actually losing a loved one to the possibility of them losing somebody. When my sister was dying, they actually had the nerve to tell me that now I had a small glimpse of how they feel, because their mom just turned 80 and might not be around for much longer, although admittedly she is in perfect health. REALLY?? If they had not done it in the middle of my little one's birthday party, there definitely would have been bloodshed, and I am not talking metaphorically speaking, either.
One of the worst ones, however, is when they compared my actually losing a loved one to the possibility of them losing somebody. When my sister was dying, they actually had the nerve to tell me that now I had a small glimpse of how they feel, because their mom just turned 80 and might not be around for much longer, although admittedly she is in perfect health. REALLY?? If they had not done it in the middle of my little one's birthday party, there definitely would have been bloodshed, and I am not talking metaphorically speaking, either.@jb78000 (15139)
•
22 Dec 09
they sound utterly dreadful - real nastiness coming out there by the sounds of it. you are definitely doing the right thing keeping away from them this christmas - poison like that is hard to ignore and is destructive even if you try not to let it get to you.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
22 Dec 09
I don't remember a happy Christmas during the first 22 years of my life, but I don't remember anything but the happiest of Christmases during the last 50 years.
We always celebrated a happy Christmas with our sons when they were growing up and no relatives or friends ever disrupted that. When the boys first married they came home for Christmas, but for the last decade or more, we have gone to them for Christmas. It is absolute joy to spend time with them and to watch their happiness in their families.
Not only have there been no arguments, I've never heard even one unkind word. It is a total pleasure. This year we will be spending Christmas with three of our five sons and another will be arriving just after Christmas - and I know it will be a happy event.
So, sorry - not fights, no killings, no arguments, no harsh words - just joy and fun!
perfect. you are lucky (now) and i think you deserve it.