The End of Tradition

This coming Christmas will be the end of a tradition for my in laws.

For the first time in many, many years, we will not be having Christmas with relatives in Yonkers.  Earlier this year, due to health and other issues, we had to move my mother in law up here, and about 150 more miles (approximately 241 km) away from those relatives.  My mother in law, who is now in her late 80's, can no longer travel.

One of the relatives down there will be 104 years old early next year.  She can't travel, either.

Fortunately, a family member living in New York City will be able to spend Christmas with the Yonkers branch of the family, but it won't be the same.

Especially for "B", my brother in law with a developmental disability called autism, who lives with my mother in law.  He wants to continue the Yonkers tradition, because change is upsetting to him.  And we all know there has been a massive amount of change in his life last year.  He had to move from the house he had lived in for almost all of his life. He had to witness two hospitalizations of his aging mother, and weeks in rehab.  His entire routine was disrupted.

But he managed (and I still need to blog about that).

He will manage this change, too, although he came up with a couple of schemes (he's good at that, too, by the way) to try to get himself down there while his mother spent time with - well, he doesn't understand about social relationships and the fact that his schemes would not work for that reason.

But we are not going to let her be alone for Christmas.

So, this will be new for all of us.  I will miss my cousin-in-law's manicotti tremendously, but look forward to a quiet Christmas free of travel this year.

Have you had to let go of a tradition?