Everyone is invited!

Here comes another holiday....another time where we are forced to choose  to go to moms or dads or his parents or her parents....blessed are those who don't have to choose, trust me! It always comes up like this 'so what are your plans for___(fill in the holiday)?' and the usual answer, 'we haven't talked about it yet' as I wince from the akwardness.  I am fairly new to this choosing between parent thing though, after my parents divorced I left for Guatemala and we spent all holidays with my husbands family, thats when things were simple. Now, every holiday its this game of trying not hurting anyones feelings, trying to keep it simple, trying give my daughter sense family unity. Its a headache honestly. Sometimes I'd just like to say, 'we aren't celebrating or we are celerbrating just us.' No such luck. However, I have decided one thing, we will all celebrate together if they choose to and the rule of thumb  is, 'everyone is invited', if everyone comes that is up to them but everyone is welcome. Divorce happened to me, I never was part of the decision making, it has affected me enough, I will not allow it to take away the joy of holidays for me or my new family. So that is how it is going to be, for Thanksgiving everyone was invited here and everyone came and it was great. We sat on the few chairs we had and on the floor, it was simple, and it was a great time. Christmas my Mom went out West so we spent Christmas day with my Dad. Now Easter, everyone is invited, whether everyone comes that is up to them, but I have put my foot down, no matter the location, we are all invited. I spend the rest of  year deciding how to spend quality time, dividing my time here, there and everywhere that for these half dozen dates out of the year, I will not be pulled around. So if you feel like you are tired of being torn into, find a neutral ground and meet there. Invite everyone and stand your ground, its their turn to choose.©