Make me up before you go go...

Oh, hi.

Welcome to a very special just before Christmas edition of the "Saturday" update.  Remember last week's update?  Me, either.  Let me refresh our memories...

Ok, I remember now.  So last week, Fred and Elizabeth had a bit of a dust up.  Let's not get into who got home late and missed dinner and who was somewhat irrationally angry at who.  This week is all about peace negotiations.  And what better time to broach this subject than the most wonderful time of the year?  There'll be notes to be written and hearts to be smitten and drawers full of cheer...

Except not really:

Christmas is the time when we're all supposed to get along.  But obligation and sincerity go together about as well as eggnog and olive juice.  We feel one way about the holidays but feel obligated to live up to the standards set by photos of pretty people in holiday catalogs.  Those photos are always of attractive, well-dressed people who seem to do nothing but laugh and have a wonderful time with each other.

But the thing is, the people in those photos who look like a family?  They don't even know each other.  They're models.  They came to an unfamiliar set, they were dressed in clothes they don't normally wear, and they smiled uncomfortably at people they didn't know very well.  Now that I think of it, the photos on holiday catalogs are pretty close to real life holiday get-togethers, aren't they?

So what am I saying here?  I guess I'm saying that family tension is probably going to be as ubiquitous as those tins full of flavored popcorn that no one eats.  You probably will feel uncomfortable at some point during the holidays.  I'm giving you permission to not feel guilty about feeling uncomfortable, regardless of how well the catalog family seems to enjoy each others' company.  You can even have  dust up or two if you want.  Then, afterward, maybe you could write a nice little apology note and be done with it.  Most of your peeps are probably pretty nice.  Even if they are obnoxious as hell.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight.

Cheers.