So, first I am blessed and I know it. However, I am so sad and I'm trying really hard not to have a pity party. I have 1 child, he's my "baby" in spite of the fact that he's almost 24 years old. He moved out several years ago, but he still came home on Christmas Eve and spent the night and we continued our Christmas morning tradition of opening gifts like we did when he was growing up.
Last year his gf (he's been with for quite a few years and an engagement should be on tap sometime in 2017) came first thing in the morning too and we opened gifts all together, he still spent the night as they don't live together. It was even more special because we just adore her and she's really the daughter we didn't have to us. It only made it better to have her with us to celebrate.
This year she has to work on Christmas a really odd shift that means she can't come over. My son kinda would like to move our "Christmas Morning" to another time and open gifts then all together again. Which in theory is great. I am sad about it though. It will be the first Christmas I don't potentially see my son on Christmas morning. On top of it because she has to work Christmas, they will only be making a brief visit to our larger family get together on Christmas Eve (it's the only whole family gathering we do over the holidays) because she needs to see her family too. Typically they spend Christmas Eve with us and then Christmas afternoon/evening with her family. Now, I get she needs to see her family and she told him they could each just go to their families and she did mean it. However, he wants to spend time with her too--- which I get that as well-- so he doesn't want to separate for the day.
My son did tell me he could still come spend the night on Christmas Eve because he wasn't doing anything else Christmas morning anyway and we could just open a few gifts. Which is a possibility but idk why it seems awkward. Then the thought of him waking up on Christmas morning to no lit tree, gifts and family made me even more sad. I know he's not a little kid but this thought breaks my heart as well.
My husband told me to try to think of this as we get to start a new tradition and we can kinda claim on non-Christmas day to celebrate. Then when the grandbabies come we will already kinda have another tradition going that doesn't interfere with the holiday.
My son is taking a state job with the correction system starting after the new year so he'll probably have to work quite a few Christmas's coming up anyhow. So, I guess it was inevitable. I am curious how others celebrate the holiday's with their adult children?
Ya know, I think if he were married and doing a Christmas morning thing in his own home with his wife/kids I'd feel differently. I'd be more okay with this whole transition. I don't know if I'm more upset that he won't be here or that he won't really have that exciting Christmas morning like we always had.