One of the more depressing things to think about when your parents have split up is an event like a holiday. Throughout my life it was a time when I could go back “home” and enjoy my mothers cooking and spend some time with my dad.
Everything has changed now. It will be the first Christmas that my parents won’t be together and we are already starting out by making our place the “home” for the holidays.
It wasn’t really planned as a way to get around the issue of which parent to go visit although it works that way. We can now start traditions around our tree and build lasting memories with our kids, regardless of who else comes to visit.
I have a suggestion for those of you that are struggling with who to invite or which parent to visit. Instead of looking at the past, look into the future and build new traditions. Take the good memories and forget about the bad. It is a time when it is easy to get upset at the way your parent’s mistake causes problems but honestly, being upset won’t change the facts.