via panoramio
I got to see one of my good friends yesterday (and meet her beautiful new puppy) and had a blast talking and rearranging/styling bookshelves (I'm being 100% honest when I say I love that kind of stuff). Being mid November, the topic of celebrating the holidays with our families quickly came up.
Being newlyweds, this is the first time we've both actually had to decide "where to be" and"who to be with" for the holidays and it's kind of hard. We both have traditions with our parents and siblings that we want to continue, but at the same time we also really want to start our own traditions as well. Of course, we also want this without creating tension or hurt feelings.
And that is really really hard to do that.
Have any of y'all felt this way?
I know personally, J and I come from very close knit families and we both love each others families. Luckily for us, our families like each other as well so we don't have to worry about everyone coming together, but the issue for me lies in how do you honor your past traditions while still leaving room for new ones? And whose home town do you start those traditions?
Take this example. The day after Thanksgiving my family of 4 (read small and close) goes and picks up our Christmas tree. We then lug it in the door (and by we, I mean my dad and my sister. I'm more of the help Mom move stuff out of the way/ hold the door open kind of person :)) and then decorate it.
This is what we did every year for, well almost ever. But things change. First change, we always got our Christmas tree from the same place and now that place no longer exists. Second change, my sister and I have gotten older. She usually travels after Thanksgiving dinner since she actually can take a mini vacation from the firm and this past year- due to work- was the very first year I wasn't with my parents. I had to work the day before and the day after, so it wasn't really possible to drive to them and then back home in the same day, so instead I spent it with my aunt and uncle and two cousins who live like 30 minutes away. It was great to be with them, but weird to be without my parents and sister.
As for Christmas, J and I were in Costa Rica on our honeymoon so that in itself was different. Wonderful and relaxing, but we both thought it was a little strange to be next to a pool on Christmas day (still remember how excited my family was that we called. haha like we wouldn't call on Christmas...)
So now it is the first year that we are actually having to "mesh our family traditions."
Luckily this year hasn't really posed too many issues which is great, but it has brought up how difficult it will be when we move away after he graduates. His parents are retiring to Florida, my parents will still be in my hometown and our siblings will most likely both be in Atlanta. Combine that with the fact that J will have to work at least a 1/2 day on either Thanksgiving or Christmas (I mean, people still get sick on the holidays!) it is bound to be a little difficult to work out.
So how do y'all do it? What traditions have you kept? What about ones you've created?
Anyhow, now that I've brought on a "heavy thinking post" I'll wish everyone a happy weekend! I hope it is both beautiful and filled with joy! Happy Friday!!
"See you" Monday!