Christmas Juggling

Christmas is the time when our family's complicated structure shows up in the worst way.

Most of the time it works wonderfully:

we all get along famously and the sharing of life rolls on oiled wheels.

But at Christmas time

Some cogs jam and wheels spin a bit

(For me, anyway)

Here's why:

( and be prepared for some gut-spilling: if it is too much for you, feel free to leave the page and visit another day, ok?)

There's the core family:

DH and me with our 4 kids and their partners and children (Well, that's my definition of the core family anyway)

Then there are:

the well loved in-laws, "step" parents, divorced parents, and DH's parents, all of whom live within a reasonable distance. They all have their place in the sun in the larger family but how to accommodate all of our needs to be together during these significant days of the year without anyone feeling left out in the cold?

It ain't easy I tell you.

Here's the gut-spilling part:

Part of me wants to be extremely territorial about my family and say:

"You will all come here and spend the time with us.

Because I say so."

Like I used to be able to .

Life was so much less complicated then.

Now, I have to be civilised and thoughtful and considerate and fair.

And I don't want to be.

I want to put my arms around "my people" and say:

"These are mine.

You can't have them.

Go get your own people to play with."

But I'm a grown-up now

So I can't do that.

We will have to find another way on another day -

of celebrating together

the arrival on planet Earth of our matchless Rescuer. . .