Why does xmas have to be full of disappointments?  It seems the older we get, the greater our expectations for xmas are, and therefore the greater the disappointment, when those expectations aren’t met.
My dad is unhappy that we aren’t spending xmas with him, mum has a mild funk over us not spending xmas with her, two BIL’s were unable/unwilling to attend xmas here…. and so on. But I am tired of that. Its easy to focus on the negative, and to not appreciate the great stuff we have in our lives.
So … a change of approach.
We had a great xmas. The kids got just the right amount of presents, not so much they were overwhelmed, and not all expensive stuff they won’t appreciate. Small handmade gifts from mum were just as appreciated as the DS games. The parcel for my sister and my mother, arrived before xmas, meaning that all the rellies will have their presents from us at the right time. Michael and Karen, made an incredibly long trek down from Emerald, and hopefully had a great time. And my MIL hopefully had a great time, despite the fact that it wasn’t the big family gathering she had hoped for. It was a good xmas this year.
