It is more than usually the case that at Christmas we visit and are visited far more than usual and it is this
that I wish to address today. Although I do not normally boast,.on this subject I speak from the summit of a mountain of often bitter experience.
Being visited at Christmas can be an experience similar to being on trial,nerve racking to say the least and there are so many scenario so let us begin with.
THE MOTHER IN LAW....da da DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
My husband was a lucky man,my parents adored him on sight and treated him as one of the family from day one,I on the other hand was not so fortunate.
My Mother in Law was a repressed,puritanical over critical character assassin who could see no fault in herself because of her constant preoccupation with the imagined faults of others. She took one look at my long corn silk hair and my patched jeans ...and hated me on sight. An art student in those times and in such a small town was considered little better than a tart, I was sixteen and desperate to please....it was to take almost twenty years for me to realise that pleasing such a malevolent old hag was impossible.
In her eyes if one did not do exactly as she did or exactly as one was told one was,... now let me remember.....oh yes,,,a slut, (if there was one thing out of place in an otherwise pristine room) A harlot (if one did not cover every bit of flesh from the neck to the ankles). An alcoholic( if one drank anything stronger than shandy.) she was the sort of woman who when I asked on her arrival at my home ,if I could get anything she would say “Yes,a duster!”
Had she kept her views to herself things would have been bad enough...she did not.., she was in the habit of broadcasting her malicious tittle tattle to all and sundry. Once at a party at my parents house she observed my father taking his second glass of scotch and was heard by the whole room to remark that she was deeply sorry for my poor Mother, and what a trial it must be to be married to a drunkard. Fortunately for her my family had better manners than she,in other society she may not have been so lucky.
Now you may be wondering just where this reverie is leading it's really very simple,if you come across someone who refuses to be pleased ,please yourself,don't take it to heart,in the end I felt sorry for the old girl. After all everyone disliked her and she had no fun at all. People like her only win if you let them, make them welcome then let them get on with it.
If you are the hostess rise above it, enjoy your other guests,your family,have fun,after all she cannot think any worse of you than she does. If you are a guest,leave early. If you are unfortunate enough to be staying the night ,smile,be pleasant and be sure to take a bottle of your favourite tipple and any other treat you can think of to make things more palatable. If children are involved be firm,set a time for visiting and being visited and make sure that it is observed.
Excited children and grouchy old grannies do not mix,tell her you are thinking of her when you tell her your Christmas rules,she won't believe you,she might whinge a bit but think of the rewards,a Christmas surrounded by those who love you best.
You've worked hard to make the magic,you deserve to enjoy the applause.
TOMORROW ALL THE FUN OF A CHILDRENS PARTY
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