HOliday HOmecoming HOopla

The holidays are fast approaching so now is a good time to explore some of the unique aspects of family gatherings for empty nesters.

(A little note from the authors: When we refer to Christmas, please feel free to substitute Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Saturnalia, winter solstice or whatever it is you celebrate. We are only using Christmas as an example because it is our family tradition, and to keep from having to write three or four names every time we refer to a holiday. Absolutely no slight is intended or any preference for one over another. If your family is like ours, no doubt any one of them can be just as crazy as the next.)

When we were a young family, the holidays posed a problem for us. Whose family we should visit? Both sides wanted to spoil their grandkids and have the big family holiday — hard to achieve without feelings getting flogged or feathers being ruffled.

We worked it out by alternating Thanksgivings as much as possible and insisting that we create our own Christmas traditions with our kids in our own home. If extended family wanted to see us they were more than welcome to join in. We haven’t forgotten the limitations that young people face as our own kids attempt to tackle the December Debacles for themselves.

Later on, while we were living on a tiny Caribbean island, the girls attended college in Washington, D.C. and New York City. The physical distance — coupled with the short amount of time they were given off from classes — made it nearly impossible for them to come home for Thanksgiving.

Several times we solved that predicament by getting together at a relative’s house up in the States. That made the trip shorter for the girls and more fun for us because we got to see some of our extended family. Other times our stranded students were fortunate enough to be invited to the house of a friendly family of a friend to join in their Turkey Day celebration.

Christmases were much more conducive to travel with plenty of time between semesters for longer stays. We never had any problems there — who doesn’t want to visit the Caribbean in late December?

Now, if we want to spend a holiday with our grown-up kids, flying everyone from the far corners of the map to wherever we happen to be can get mighty expensive.

We no longer have the benefit of two out of our three offspring living in the same city, but holidays in New York City are becoming the norm. We have had the pleasure of staying in The Piglet ‘s studio apartment when we visit the city and even gobbled up Thanksgiving dinner at Decibel’s humble abode. It’s a tight fit to say the lease, even just for the five of us in the immediate family.

Lately, with the family growing, we have taken to renting an AirB&B outside the city and piling everybody, including extended family of any grandparents, in-laws, or aunts and uncles that can make it. Since we are GypsyNesters and don’t have a home to host a holiday hoedown for Thanksgiving this is a fantastic alternative.

All in all, we have discovered that it really doesn’t matter where you are or what’s on the table, it’s all about being together. One of our best family memories involved a ill-fated trip to Cleveland. Not having planned properly (who? US?), we ended up with three teen-agers stuck in a hotel on Thanksgiving. Not a restaurant was open in the city, so we made a spread out of tortilla chips and beef jerky from the mini mart next door.

An unconventional holiday feast, to be sure, but one that all five of us look back on with fond feelings.

Or perhaps, we’re just weird. Yeah, that’s probably it.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

YOUR TURN: How have the holidays changed for you?


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12 thoughts on “HOliday HOmecoming HOopla”

  1. Merry Christmas to you both. I have also enjoyed reading your posts and have suggested the emptynester to many of my fb friends…

  2. Happy Stressless holidays to you too David and Veronica. Glad to have followed your travels this year thank you sooo much for sharing you are my idols! 🙂

  3. said…

    We have a son who recently turned eighteen. We are getting used to seeing him infrequently, if at all. We are reading the writing on the wall regarding how we will rate come holiday seasons once he moves out.

    Reading your article here on Fac…ebook (after having found you originally on Twitter) has helped me. I’ve been having a difficult time getting into the holiday season because so much of what makes the holidays the holidays to me has changed so much.

    But now?
    I realize that my husband and I are free to make new holiday traditions. We’ll be able to have time, alone…and have additional time to explore our interests and hobbies. I don’t have to be sad for what we have “lost” — we are going to able to enrich our lives in new ways.

    I think it is valuable for parents to realize that they do not cease to exist as individuals when their children grow up. In truth they get to become different individuals. People that no longer need to make their children the center of their focus.

    Even though (at present) I still feel shell-shocked with all of the changes hitting our family just now: I am so happy to have found you here on Facebook. I think that reading your posts will help.

    A lot.
    🙂

  4. I was just talking to my Husband about how my daughter may not want to travel in the future with three little ones under 5…..ok it is my hope:) Cleaning is a big drag!

    1. Renita-not cleaning IS a big plus! Cari – WOW! You just made our day – so sweet – thank you so much! Holidays can be tough at first, but you are on the right track. You can’t do it all at once – you are only human!

  5. Holiday traditions change as the kids get older, don’t they? You’ve given some great tips on dealing with the season. Nothing much we can do but go with the flow :-).

  6. We had both daughters home for Christmas this year! WHOOOhhhooo!! After a couple years of missing them, it’s great to have them both together again. Enjoy while you can, I can see it’s going to get harder to do. Thanks for supplying ideas on holiday logistics, Veronica!

  7. This is our first year with both the kids far flung. Doesn’t really feel like Christmas. Fortunately, they both have extended family close to them that they can celebrate with and we have the same. Sigh – transition year…. don’t like it one bit.

  8. Time flying, tell me about it. Went to bed last night at age ( 18 ), awoke this morn age ( 62 ). But I still have myn ( 18 ) year old mind, thank God. …

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