It is October 5th. I got an email from my mother in law the other day asking me if there was a day during the Thanksgiving weekend that we would be able to come over to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's October 5th .... ?!?
I told my husband that she had emailed us, and why. We discussed it and we have our answer for her, but then I asked...Why is she emailing and asking NOW? LOL He said well you know...
Yes I know, she does tend to want to tie us down to a date rather early. If up to us we'd spend it here at home with just our kids. My family no longer gets together for it. (My mother chooses to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend...hmm..or is he just a friend? I never quite got an honest answer there...Maybe companion is a better choice of words) We are pretty open ended a bit more now as Jay gets both that Thursday and Friday off. (for many years he just had Thursday off) We celebrated Thanksgiving with her last year and it went great. In fact it was one of the better celebrations we've ever had over there.
We know part of all of this is that her family had a standing tradition of always gathering at her mom and dad's house for Thanksgiving. We were always invited to go, but at that time, it meant giving up the only day Jay had off for that holiday to drive a good distance and back. We did it some, but then started opting to just set the day aside with the kids, giving Jay a much needed day off. Her father died many years ago, and her mother just died last year about this time. I think she wants to start her own tradition by having her family over every year as her parents did.
I'm not against it, but I really hate falling into traditions like this, so I hesitate. My family had traditions, but when my own father died, those traditions started falling apart. It was sort of awkward and weird. I don't get along with my sister or brother well, so what is lost is probably just a lot of stress anymore. I just hesitate to start new ones at this point. Traditions are meant to be kept, not broken....and it just seems that no one can agree in how to keep them anyway. Maybe I need this though. I'll leave the figuring out thing to God.
So I have to email my mother in law back to tell her that we can come, God willing, baring sickness or death or other emergencies. I hate committing to it right now, because if we have to change plans say in a few weeks, or right before the date for whatever reason...we better have one foot in the grave first LOL!
This is all written with a sense of humor. It just struck me funny that here it is October 5th and she is already asking us about making plans for Thanksgiving. (oh and we only live 45 minutes apart) I don't always agree with my mother in law, but I do love her and know she is doing the best she can with what she has being who she is.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
3 comment(s):
Even worse, it is already Christmas at Costco.
By
Joel, at
1:54 AM, October 07, 2006
You guys can humor your MIL. She's attached a lot of meaning to having you guys over for Thanksgiving, and since Jay has two days off, you can swing the one, I feel.
By
Livemalls, at
12:11 PM, October 08, 2006
Indeed, the stores start a bit early for me with the Christmas stuff.
I thought it was sort of silly this year that in June, stores started bringing out back to school stuff. Kids were barely out of school and they were being told to buy supplies to go back. LOL
MIL might be humored...but we found it humorous that she wanted to be humored this early!!
By
Muddy, at
10:24 PM, October 08, 2006
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