Reply to Help me feel less bitter about my families new Christmas tradition

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[quote=Anonymous]I grew up in a big family and we did Christmas BIG.

Since I was bone we've had huge extravagant Christmases.  Looking back I can see they were over he top and frankly pretty gaudy.  Imagine the opening sequence of the Nutcracker, a I can only estimate my parents spent hundreds of thousands on Christmas each year (expensive gifts, expensive food, expensive decorations, expensive services such as hiring several horse and carriages on Christmas Eve... Complete over kill).  Three years ago my father had a big health scare and almost lost his life.  It was a epiphany for my parents and they totally changed their lifestyle.  Sold 75% of their crap and downsized! no more country club life style and started doing a lot of volunteering.  It has been great and our family has really grown as people.

Now for the last two Christmases we have spent in a soup kitchen.   We go in at 9 am and serve till 3pm, it has been a great experience.  Afterwards we go to my parents new house and spend time together.  We play games and eat, but no feast or presents.   I thought this was great until recently.

I am the youngest of five and last to have children (IVF triplets at 39).  All of my siblings have children ranging from 15 to 27 and my three are 3.   I feel like my children don't get that special cousin bond all my siblings children do because of how much younger they are than their cousins.

My sister has been sharing pictures of previous Christmases and I feel like my children are missing out on what their cousins got to experience. They won't have those memories.  My mom mentioned that those past Christmases were "for the kids" and thinks our new tradition is great since most of her grandchildren are adults now. In can't help but feel like, "what about my kids!"  I lobe that we volunteer and I want to keep that tradition but I also want my kids to experience the big Christmas everyone else did.  Not over the top, but the dinner and the presents would be nice.

I just feel like my kids are overlooked and miss out so much, I'd like them to experience a little Christmas magic.
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