the Christmas that didn't happen

[tielan]

Last night, around 10:30pm, we get a message from our aunt.

Our cousin's boyfriend ("friend") is COVID+, and our uncle went to visit cousin & bf the day before yesterday, unmasked. They're all double-vaxxed, but just to be safe...

The Sheriff of Nottingham got his wish: Christmas got cancelled.

The day was basically going to be us (me and the Bs, parentals), uncle & aunt, cousin & bf, cousin and cuz-in-law and their four kids. Cousin & CIL and their fam live down south - about 50 minutes drive across the city. They decided to stay home - they also have CIL's mum, and someone else staying with them (a single mum). Cousin & BF are isolating, so are uncle & aunt, and we had Christmas Eve lunch with the parentals yesterday. So cancelling made sense rather than trying to relocate.

Tomorrow was going to be parentals, sistren and I, and stepbro-J and stepSIL-J, who are pregnant and were due on the 23rd. This afternoon ~3pm, baby started moving. So they might have a Christmas baby, but they'll still be in hospital for another couple of days (here in Australia, I think they keep you for at least three days). And with cases on the rise, hospitals have changed up the visiting options. So...no hospital visits this year. If they even want us to visit. (We are not quite the 'red-headed stepchildren' in the scenario, but out of all the family, we are probably the farthest branch, and the one that is last on J's list.)

The gist of it is that lunch tomorrow is still on, but without the people that we really wanted to see. *sigh*

I feel like fate, the universe, God, doesn't want us to get to know SSIL-J. J&J started dating during the pandemic, we didn't meet her until around Christmas last year, they were married in Jan. Then they go pregnant. I was going to visit them out west in August...and then Sydney/NSW went into lockdown. I was hoping to see them when they got to Sydney...and then they were busy. And then I was hoping to see them tomorrow...and the baby is coming.

IDK. Maybe it's all pointless: they're a decade younger than me, I'm the spinster stepsis, the person that nobody has ever asked to godmother a kid, not someone that people particularly want their kids to emulate - at least, not in my circles where people have kids...

Anyway, this is the first Christmas in all my 45 years where I haven't had somewhere to be on Christmas Day. I know there are people who do this as a matter of course, year after year, but it's a new experience for me. Not entirely a bad one, but...I rather like Christmas for the people and the food.

Comments

[lytwriter]

Hey, that really sucks. Our normally 30+ person Christmas is cut to one third size here for the second year in a row, with part of the family refusing to even test before visiting (and of questionable vaccination status due to stupid f-ing political brainwashing.) So I really feel ya.

And as a parent and a person who actually has met you IRL, I think you'd be a fine person for kids to emulate. I hope this different, quiet Christmas is still a lovely and worthwhile one for all involved.

Merry Christmas anyways, although a different one than any of us hoped.

[tielan]

*hugs*

Thank you! It was a new experience, doing a quiet Christmas. I admittedly probably could have announced that we weren't doing Christmas Day anymore on FB and ended up with a half-dozen local invitations of somewhere to go, but I chose not to.

Merry Christmas! I hope yours went well, even with family schisms, etc. I know there's a lot of people struggling with risk management and relatives this year through the US holiday season; the trip I'm going on over New Year had a bit of uncomfortable negotiating on that point, but we worked it out.

[jenab]

*Hugs*

[tielan]

*hugs back*

I'm glad you got to spend Christmas with your brother and relatives.

[eggsbenedict]

Urgh, I'm sorry the last-minute changes have affected your family so much. I hope you can get together properly eventually, and that the alone time helps creatively or just with getting more rest. (Yes, you resting, hahaha!)

In the public system the maternity wards generally try to kick you out 2 days after childbirth to vacate the bed, but they'll keep you in longer if there are issues... I hope all goes well on that front too. If you're there for the parents at the 6-10 month point when the novelty tends to wear off, it'll matter a lot. <3

[tielan]

Thanks for the tip about the 6-10 month point - I will definitely make a check-in with them then!

SSIL-J gave birth the evening of Christmas Day, healthy baby boy, she's getting out of hospital today or tomorrow, I think.

Uh, yes, resting... *looks at the list of things she did after getting her booster shot today* ahahahaha. Ahem.