You Were Always the Problem
Boomers are shocked by their lonely holidays
About this time every year, emails start arriving to my in-box. Parents whose adult children don’t want to be around them worry about the holidays. For rejected parents, the season can loom like clouds of gloom and doom.
From what I’ve seen, the seeds for a lack of concern for the fate of their parents around the holidays is mostly sewn by the way those parents conducted the holidays when the children were young. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
Thanksgiving and Christmas were both massive deals in my family’s home growing up, whereas New Years, the Fourth of July, and Halloween barely registered. So, it shouldn’t be a big surprise that they’re both a big deal in my household. Spacebunny must start planning things around June, considering how much time and effort she puts into what she describes as “the eating holidays”, and she’s trained our children well to the point that the pie-to-person ratio very nearly approaches one.
In fact, the Christmas cookie-baking was officially launched yesterday in what was a heartwarmingly homey gathering of the relevant forces being mustered. I can neither confirm nor deny that a successful cookie dough raid was staged despite the active vigilance of the cookie-bakers.
As a result, it wouldn’t even occur to anyone to not show up, and indeed, the partners of the children are among some of the most enthusiastic participants once they discover what it entails.
Furthermore, we’ve continued a tradition that my parents always maintained, which is including a few friends or tangential family members in the celebrations. This tends to add an additional festive mood to things, as it prevents it from being just another family dinner and tends to reduce any propensity for internecine squabbling, since having a few “guests” around reliably improves the general behavior.
But, of course, that would involve actually thinking about others, and taking others plans and wishes into account, and that’s something that the Boomers, as demonstrated by this woman in her late 60s with four adult children, manifestly cannot do.
Yes, it hurts that NONE of my four children want me for Christmas... but this is how I’m taking my revenge…
Let me guess… you’re not going to leave them any inheritance but your debts! Yeah, I’m pretty sure that was already in the cards, Boomer.
The thing is, life is pretty simple in this regard. You tend to get back what you put into it, plus interest. And it’s never too late to begin a new tradition. Now is the time to start making it happen.
So many boomers apparently love the idea of importing foreign labor to their progeny's detriment, perhaps they could find minimum wage in their wallets to hire some Norman Rockwell moments for the eating holidays. Bootstrap it, boomer!
“… this is how I’m taking my revenge…” With an attitude like that, it’s a complete mystery why her children want nothing to do with her.