Christmas. I guess it had to happen. And don't get me wrong, I'm glad it did, I'm just sorry not everything we wanted to happen "by Christmas" has, and yet it's here anyway, ready or not.

And... now I'm over it. Because I made some good decisions about Christmas this time around. I stopped treatment back in, what - end September? I let my "if it hasn't happened by Christmas" deadline go, laughing all the while at my naivety. I moved country - a measure which may be a little extreme for those who just want to make a quick getaway after the pudding. And there's one more thing.

In my family, we always had The Main Christmas Tree at my grandparents' place. It was where everyone gathered on Christmas morning to perform a little ceremony we called, imaginatively enough, "Christmas Tree" - basically a morning tea and the official exchange of gifts. The Christmas tree at my parents' house was a size down, and various other relatives who lived on their own or in pairs had little trees, just big enough for one or two.

This is our eighth Christmas together since we got married. And true to tradition we have always had a little desktop tree, just big enough for one or two. We were planning to upgrade, you know, as soon as we "started our family". Now I could bang on and on here about the definition of family, arbitrarily self-enforced hierarchies and the necessary re-examination of traditions over time, or I could just show you this:


And if you don't feel you can have a Merry Christmas, then at least let me wish you a happier new year.

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Other bloggers who are trying to enjoy Christmas despite infertility (and in some cases succeeding, to a greater or at least more drunken extent): Josie, Kir, Miss E, Katie, and Beagle.


8 Comments

beagle said...

Gorgeous tree, great post. You have the best you can as well. Onwards and Upwards in 2007!

ColourYourWorld said...

Yep we have the little Christmas tree that will be upgraded when the "family" arrives too.

Looking forward to see the end of 2006, lets hope that 2007 brings all our dreams to reality.

All the best.

Jules said...

Merry Christmas to all.

May we all, have a very happy 2007.

Kir said...

that tree is gorgeous and I could just hug ya for trying. I know it's hard but the Merry & Bright in all of us is stronger than IF and I am wishing you a beautiful Christmas and a New Year that brings us wonderful moments and joy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Serenity said...

I feel the same way, in fact it's a little uncanny how we're in the same place right now - accepting that not everything happened this year the way we want it to. Stopping treatments and just letting the deadline go.

And I must say, I love that you broke tradition and got the bigger tree.

Because at the end of the day it should be about trying to enjoy the now and not live for the future. Right?

Merry Christmas, Bea!!!!

Stephanie said...

What a beautiful tree! Merry Christmas!

Hopeful Mother said...

Yeah... I'm trying to ignore Christmas in the hopes that it will just go away quietly. We are going to church on Christmas Eve, since it's really the "reason" for all of this anyway... the gifts and other things are all just our own societal obligations.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a 2007 that sees the realization of all of our hopes and dreams.

Josie said...

Awesome tree! Merry Christmas back at you - I have plans on sending a blog card via e-mail - now it is turning into a New Year's card! I hope 2007 is our year!

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