This time of year

It's time for the yearly family drama of our "alternative" Christmas

Several years ago, my husband and I started a new holiday transition. Actually, we're bucking an old tradition. We do not exchange Christmas gifts with anybody, except for our daughter. Every year, we catch flack about this from the family members from whom you would least expect it. They go so far as to boycott our December birthdays in return. Why? Because we will not tell them what we want for Christmas or buy them presents. Already, they have asked what we want for Christmas, but not mentioned our birthdays or even asked if we had plans for Thanksgiving.

I won't go into all the reasons why we made our decision, it's not important to this post. I feel my own special holiday pressures beginning, though, and my hearts go out to those with their own - traditional or not.