Frankly, I think the out of proportion picture the media gives of families is a big problem. We have had so many %&&/ up holidays because of either my family or my husband, and yet we do still love them and each other. We have a kid who makes traditional Christmases a rare occurrance but I couldn't see having one without him.
We are all a bunch of individuals trying to get by with each other, and sometimes we get lucky and love is naturally part of the mix. Sometimes we have to work on it and sometimes it's just not there. There's no magic in family. There's no purely whitelight and cuddly coo families. It's mostly hard work with a few dividends doled out as afew moments that work. The comercials try to tell you if you spend enough money, the magic can be yours. what a crock, eh. Huggs all, and inspite of the tone, I do wish you all peace this holiday, and the ability to screen the riduculous comercials.