Holiday Expectations
By Hilary West
Hilary is a senior at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama and is majoring in Journalism and Public Relations. She is a member of Riverchase Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

When I was growing up, every Christmas I would wake up in my house, go jump on my parent's bed to wake them up, and then go and open presents. Then we would all get in the car and drive to Montgomery and eat lunch with my aunt and uncle. That was our holiday ritual. Now, since my parents have gotten divorced, things are a little different and I must say that since I am in college, it makes things a lot harder.

Now, when I even get the chance to come home, I have to run back and forth to see both parents. On holidays it is ten times worse. You always want to be with your family and it's hard when you can't spend a holiday with your whole family. Even though I get to see my whole family, in some ways it just isn't Christmas without all of us there together in one place.

Even though I am 22, and getting married next Christmas, I still go and jump on my mother's bed on Christmas morning to wake her up and go downstairs to open presents. Then we go and eat with my aunt and uncle and open presents at their house. I love getting to be with most of my family, but when I hear my cousin yell out "hey dad, come here" it kind of makes my heart drop to think that my dad isn't here with me. Then I have to turn around and go to my father's house to celebrate our Christmas, just the two of us.

I know that when I get married next December, things will be even more difficult, because not only will I have a husband, but I will have to go one more place to go on Christmas. I don't really know what to expect out of all of this, because I know that it has been hard on me the past few years going to two places on holidays, but I will soon have three. I know that some years, I will only be able to go to one or two places and some years everyone will have to come to us. How I will choose who I am going to see when… and who gets invited to our house, what years, will be a chore.

Holidays are supposed to be about celebrating the birth of Christ our savior, not about worrying which relatives you are going to see or not see.

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