When I met and fell in love with my dear sweet adorable husband I was not thinking clearly! When I accepted his proposal for marriage I was swept up in a summer of walks on the beach and day trips to museums. When we decided to have children I was drunk with the idea of tiny feet and hands and that magical smell that comes from baby heads.
Had I stopped to think, we might not have the wonderful family we have now. Had I read the countless books my mother in law sent, I might have gone running out the door. But, luckily, I let love lead the way.
My husband grew up in a culturally Jewish household, I grew up in a mostly Catholic one. This is not always an issue. The guilt factor, for example, is about even.
This time of year is full of challenges and compromise! When will we put up the tree? Does it interfere with Hanukkah? Who gets what presents when? Who will attend community functions that while labeled "Holiday" really mean "Christmas"? Who gets to answer the phone when an angry parent calls because one of our kids spilled the Santa beans?
Not to say that there are not benefits! There is never a question about where we need to spend Christmas. And as you may have guessed from the example above, we don't play the Santa game.
It is difficult though to make it through the season without bloodshed or tears. And we almost always have to explain to friends how we are approaching things and why.
Over the next couple of weeks I hope to write more about our family and how we tackled this difficult season! Maybe it will cut down on my personal tears!
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