Like so many others, I am a product of a marriage that ended in divorce.
I don’t remember many Christmases with my parents together, but I do remember finding an open restaurant on Christmas Day to do the annual switch after we had opened presents at my mom’s house.
kAm}@H[ x 4@?D:56C >JD6=7 G6CJ =F4<J] |J A2C6?ED 92G6 2=H2JD 8@EE6? 2=@?8[ 6G6? :? E96 62C=J 52JD @7 E96:C 5:G@C46[ D@ E96 >66E:?8D H6C6 2=H2JD A=62D2?E] x C6>6>36C @?6 J62C H6 >6E 2E p??:6’D !2?42<6 w@FD6j E92E H2D >J 72G@C:E6] %96J 925 =:76\D:K65 #6? 2?5 $E:>AJ 5@==D @FED:56]k^Am
kAm%96D6 H6C6 >J r9C:DE>2D >6>@C:6D]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 A2DE 76H J62CD 2?5 >66E:?8 >J 9FD32?5[ x 92G6 366? ECJ:?8 E@ 4C62E6 E96 A6C764E r9C:DE>2D] q67@C6 >J 3C@E96C\:?\=2H sJ=2? 5:65[ 96 DE2J65 H:E9 FD 7@C E96 9@=:52JD D@ E96 7:CDE 76H J62CD @7 r92C=6D 2?5 x 36:?8 E@86E96C[ x C62==J DEC:G65 7@C E@E2= A6C764E:@?] x H2?E65 E96 w2==>2C< >@G:6 >@>6?E E92E x 5:5?’E 92G6 2D 2 <:5]k^Am
kAmx EC:65 E@ D9@A 7@C E96 36DE AC6D6?ED 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 6G6CJE9:?8 H2D ?:46=J 564@C2E65 2?5 A6C764E=J =:E]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 36DE E9:?8D E92E 42>6 7C@> >6 ECJ:?8 E@ 4C62E6 E9:D A6C764E r9C:DE>2D >6>@CJ H2D 2 EC25:E:@? H6’G6 DE2CE65 @7 r92C=6D 2?5 x 9@DE:?8 r9C:DE>2D tG6 5:??6C] $66[ H6 =:G6 23@FE 2? 9@FC 2H2J 7C@> >@DE @7 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 H6 2C6 E96 EC2G6=6CD] (6’C6 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ E96:C 9@FD6 7@C 6G6?ED H:E9 E96 <:5D @C E@ H2E49 E96 H66<6?5’D 7@@E32== 82>6D]k^Am
kAmqFE @? r9C:DE>2D tG6[ :E’D E96 @?6 E:>6 @7 J62C H96C6 6G6CJ@?6 4@>6D E@ FD] x FDF2==J 4@@< 2 762DE H:E9 EH:46 32<65 A@E2E@6D[ 7C6D9 8C66? 362?D[ 4@C? AF55:?8[ C@2DE 3667 — E96 H@C<D] x >2<6 DFC6 E96C6’D 2 D6=64E:@? @7 56DD6CED 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 92D 2 EC66 A6C764E=J A:4<65 @FE 7@C E96>]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ E9@F89 — E9:D J62C :D 2 =:EE=6 5:776C6?E]k^Am
kAmpD >@DE @7 J@F <?@H sJ=2? 5:65 23@FE `g >@?E9D 28@[ 2?5 9@=:52JD 92G6 ?6G6C BF:E6 366? E96 D2>6] |J 9FD32?5 6DA64:2==J 5@6D?’E 92G6 E96 76CG@C 96 @?46 5:5 E@ 4C62E6 E96 A6C764E r9C:DE>2D >6>@CJ[ 3642FD6[ H6==[ H:E9@FE sJ=2?[ :E 5@6D?’E C62==J 6I:DE]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E92E’D H92E x’G6 4@>6 E@ C62=:K6 :D D@ :>A@CE2?E 23@FE r9C:DE>2D] xE’D ?@E 23@FE E96 A6C764E r9C:DE>2D >6>@CJ @C E96 36DE r9C:DE>2D 8:7Ej :E’D 23@FE E9@D6 >@>6?ED J@F 5@?’E A=2? 2?5 E96 E:>6D J@F 5@?’E 6IA64E]k^Am
kAm*@F 42?’E A=2? E9@D6 #6? 2?5 $E:>AJ <:?5 @7 >6>@C:6D] *@F 42?’E D4965F=6 E96> @C AFE E96> :? 2 r9C:DE>2D 42=6?52Cj E96J ;FDE 92AA6?] %96J 2C6 E96 @?6D E92E DE:4< H:E9 J@F 2 =:76E:>6[ 2?5 J@F ?6G6C 6IA64E E96> E@]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 r9C:DE>2D >6>@C:6D :?G@=G65 CF??:?8 2C@F?5 >J 9@>6E@H? H:E9 >J 3C@E96C 2E >:5?:89E r9C:DE>2D tG6 5C@AA:?8 @77 >:?:2EFC6 7@@E32== 96=>6ED 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 5:D4@G6C E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8] xE H2D?’E A=2??65j :E H2D ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 7F? E@ 5@ 2?5 H6 EFC?65 :?E@ @FC @H? =:EE=6 r9C:DE>2D 6=G6D]k^Am
kAmp?5 H96? AC6A2C:?8 7@C E92E >28:42= r9C:DE>2D tG6 5:??6C E9:D J62C[ x 564:565 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 2 =:EE=6 5:776C6?E — 86E :E 42E6C65]k^Am
kAm$@ C6>6>36C H96? J@F’C6 A=2??:?8 J@FC r9C:DE>2D 76DE:G:E:6D[ :E’D ~z :7 ?@E 6G6CJE9:?8 :D A6C764E] xE’D ~z :7 E96C6’D 2 76H 5:CEJ 4=@E96D :? E96 92>A6C @C E96 32D63@2C5D 92G6?’E 366? 4=62?65] }@ @?6 H:== C6>6>36C 6I24E=J H92E J@F 4@@<65 @C 9@H >2?J 56DD6CED H6C6 @? J@FC E23=6] (92E E96J’== C6>6>36C :D E96 E:>6 J@F 4C62E6 E@86E96C]k^Am
kAm{:K: pC3@82DE vH:? :D E96 >2?28:?8 65:E@C @7 %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD x?4] $96 42? 36 C624965 2E cbc\hea\hca_ @C G:2 6>2:= 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i=:K:]8H:?o2=6I4:EJ@FE=@@<]4@>Qm=:K:]8H:?o2=6I4:EJ@FE=@@<]4@>k^2m]k^Am
