We used to spend Thanksgiving together, but stuff happened.

[fuzzybuddy]

I'm not a great example of having good ties to my relatives. I occasionally speak to my brother. I severed ties to my other relations years ago. There is an ex-sister-in-law that if she were on fire, I don't think I'd mention it. There was a time when we ate Thanksgiving dinners together. But, stuff happened. We like to think that we live in a "Walton's Mountain" type life, but stuff can happen.

 

[Aunt Bea]

We used to get together too.

My paternal grandmother and my mother were the glue that kept our family together.

Some showed up out of respect and some showed up out of fear, but they all showed up.

Now things are different and I'm ok with that.

 

[Pepper]

I haven't seen or spoken to my sister and my three nephews since 2004. My sister & I always spoke every day, her sons were the first children I deeply loved. I get no answers from them as to why; I'm hung up on, letters ignored. It's a great tragedy to me but I've done everything I can and it's over. That's why I can't be on Facebook as I look at their pages and feel rotten, so I just avoid the place.

 

[officerripley]

Even when there are not fallings-out, it just seems that family get-togethers with the original families will kind of fade away: as kids grow and marry, then they have in-laws who are wanting to see them, etc. And it seems like for years, that a female family member will be the glue holding the family together; once she dies or is no longer able to, things kind of fall apart since males don't seem to want to continue it. (Heck, I think most of the time it doesn't even occur to 'em.)

 

[JaniceM]

I don't know if it's a time-frame thing or a locations thing, but I've never been able (or willing) to adjust to the "go out for" approach that I've encountered in recent years.

What I'm familiar with is holidays, individuals' special occasions (birthdays, etc.) were at home. I'm not accustomed to going to IHOP for Thanksgiving dinner, etc.

 

[Sassycakes]

I never had Thanksgiving dinner with either of my grandparents, My Moms Mother was bedridden from when I was born until she passed away when I was 4yrs old. My Dad's Mother hated my Mom so we were never invited there for dinner. .My Mom cooked all our Thanksgiving dinners and they were delicious.

 

[katlupe]

Up until I was 10, we went to my grandmother's house for Sunday dinner almost every week and for holidays too. But after that we lived away from our relatives (in FL) so it was just the four of us. We moved back to NY when I was 16. By then my grandmother was not doing those family dinners anymore. It seemed to me that she had gotten really old in those 6 years.

Then when I got married and had my son I made a big Christmas day at my house. I made it the way I wanted it to be when I was a child. Good memories now. I don't really do much for any holiday now and it is okay with me. I don't miss it or the work.