Christmas time is here....

And you know what that means......Everyone wants everyone at a different place at the same time. There are those that want to stand firm on traditions, there are those that change their mind every year, there are those that can't make every one happy, there are those that want to make everyone feel guilty about changing things and those that feel guilty about all of it!
As my family has grown, each year it becomes harder and harder to get them to keep up old traditions or at least make a concerted effort to visit ALL of their family!!!
My kids feel like I am the only one besides them that counts. Which is a nice feeling, but they push other family responsibilities off under the guise of " we have our own family"
This sentiment has caused a lot of animosity between certain family members and me. Not sure why just me but I take the fall when they don't visit their sick aunt, they don't come to family gatherings, they don't RSVP to invited events.....What's a Mom to do????
I know they are all adults, and believe me I can give out the guilt as good as the next person.....but somethings, on the scale of things just don't seem as important to me anymore.
I have been bullied one too many times by nieces and in-laws. I give up. You have a beef with them, call them and tell them, stop emailing me and giving me grief about stuff that I cannot control! I am sorry I, We, They hurt your feelings. I apologize if my children think your children are spoiled, nasty brats and would rather not be around them. I am sorry that everytime you come to their houses you look down your nose at the things that they have and point your distaste out to those around you. My children have worked very hard for what they have. Although my daughter moved into a house bought by her significant other, it does not make it any less her home than your house that your husbands wages pay for!
Oops, that was a rampage...sorry.
But it seems to me that I should be able to spend my Holidays with my kids, with no guilt on anyone's part. Is it a different type of Holiday than it was 10 years ago, certainly! But it is no less festive for us, we squeeze each other in and make sure our schedules coincide so we can be together. That's what counts to me. I do still feel guilty but I am trying to work on that!!!~~~~