The Christmas Split

Anonymous writer today!!

 

The Christmas Split

I love the Holidays! Always have, always will! I love seeing people smile when you give them their gift. I love that somehow people seem friendlier this time of year. More doors get held, more people look each other in the eyes when in a store instead of the normal glare that people have when all they want to do is get in get out and not see anyone they know and possibly delay their day. People seem to say excuse me, please, and thank you a whole lot more than on any other time of year. That to me is the Christmas Spirit!
 

What I don’t love is something that I like to call the Christmas Split. As many do, I come from a divorced family and so does my husband. Mine have been split up for about 16 years and his for about 7. You would think that by now everyone (us included) would have our ducks in a row when it comes to the Holidays. Well folks, we definitely do not and every year it gets crazier and crazier and every year my husband gets crankier and crankier! I HATE (and I don’t like to use that word very often) that he literally can not find anything to be happy about this time of year. I try to make our house pretty for the season, (he did help put the tree and a few decorations up=big success) I try to be extra nice and act like frickin Mrs. Claus to ease the stress of the Christmas Split but the truth is there is not a damn thing I can do to make him the jolly husband I want him to be. As a woman I try and fix/organize things and events so there is no stress for him when this time of year comes. I also try to point out the fact that we are lucky to have so many people who love us and want to see us and that we are very fortunate to have a gazillion places to go because there are a lot of people who don’t have that. At the same time I am constantly trying to remind myself all of these things too because it would be very easy for me to slip in to Grinch mode right along with him.
 

We literally have 6 family Christmas events to attend this year. 2 this Sunday, 2 Christmas Eve, 1 Christmas Day, 1 the following Saturday. The hubby a.k.a. The Grinch said “I am not going anywhere this year I am going to sit on my ass and if they want to see me they can come here!”……… (GEESH are fricking joking me!!! Seriously people he is the nicest guy all year long but he turns in to this mean grumpy old man at the sound of jingle bells and falalalala. Because I have the patience to deal with this while trying to coordinate the gazillion places we have to go, what stuff to bring to eat, go to the store buy the stuff ,make the stuff, what presents to buy, wrap, and coordinate which house everything goes to. ) I say with a smile “Ok Grinch Husband I totally understand your frustration. But its one time of year that we do this and then it will all go back to normal, and you and I both know once we are to all the places we need to be we have a great time!” Grinch Husband says “Ugggh Whatever!!!”
 

We truly love our families and although it’s frustrating and stressful at times I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because we are lucky and fortunate for all of our blessings and if it wasn’t for this day that little baby Jesus was born we would never have all that we do. So I just laugh it all off and know that at some point my Grinch of a hubby’s heart will grow 3 times bigger and he will go back to the man I know he is. I will sneak a look at the slight little smile he gets as he watches our little nieces and nephews opening their gifts, the big hug he always gives my sweet grandma, the twinkle in his eye when his grandma serves her peanut butter pie and the way he laughs so hard at the way our dogs tear open their presents. My heart will be full and it will feel like there is Peace on Earth. Even if it is only for the next 11 months ;)
 

Merry Christmas to you all! May you find Joy and Peace wherever you may be this Christmas Season!!

Reminder: The writer of this piece is an adult!! Imagine how the children that are forced to deal with the Christmas Split must feel.  Try to be cordial and kind, understanding and peaceful when you're making plans with ex's and grands and extended family so that the monsters feel as little of the Christmas Split tension as possible!!