Tradition attack!

*Anyone reading this, do not be offended, do not think I am attacking anyone, or that I am trying to single anyone out. I am just releasing my frustrations!*
Without getting into too many details, I can feel the Christmas blues coming on. Or is it Christmas stress? Or is it work stress? Perhaps it's as Ted says, "She's even more sensitive now because of the baby." Whatever the case, part of me is NOT looking forward to Christmas this year.
The one thing I have been struggling with a lot lately is how different I am compared to well... certain groups of people. Now I love being different, I love my weird little qwerks and I love getting weird looks from people when Ted says "Ask Rosanna her thoughts on dinosaurs." I grew up in a community of people who for the most part all grew up the same way I did. I was not the odd one out, I was part of the crowd. But I have noticed something about this crowd I was in, they were so open to those standing on the outside. Open mindedness. I love it! I wish I could see more of it. But like lots of people, we leave our comfy little crowds and find others, and often times we become the ones on the outside. These "crowds" can be family, church, co-workers, neighbours, etc. Groups of people we join. Now for me, my crowds began changing when I started to go out with Ted, and I was the odd one out. I grew up with the idea that watching movies with swearing in them or sex, is stuff my mind does not need to see or hear. I stuck with that and I still practice it today. Very rare will I watch anything rated over PG 13. However, I moved to a place where the F bomb was like the word of everyones vocabulary and watching it in a movie should be no different. I was able to keep strong to my movie watching beliefs, but how do you stop someone from speaking? I dont think you can. And everyone knew I was the odd one out and I was picked on for it. And that is one minor example.
My issues lie deeper than that right now. Because in just over 4 months I have the privilege of raising a child of my own, with someone raised so differently then myself. So what do I mean, and some of you reading this might be thinking "Wow Rosanna, get over it already." But I dont think I will or can. Its just not how I was raised! First issue I am dealing with is Baby Baptism. *Gasp* how could I think such a thing? And this is where that crowd I was talking about differs so much to the new ones I am in. I dont want to get into all the facts and arguements and petty little fights. And it is something I am fighting for with all my heart because I strongly want to have my child baptized. As I've told several people, I am at the point I now want my child baptized for nothing more then the hope that they too will be open minded about different practices in the church and not so stuck on one thing.
My second issue I am dealing with now (and this is where some of the Christmas blues come in to affect), I have had the pleasure of celebrating 25 Christmases (going on 26 this year). 2 of those 25 (that is 92%) were spent Opening presents on Christmas eve with my family, and Christmas day attending church and getting together with family for a big turkey dinner! I am suddenly forced to change my traditions and almost change my thoughts of how Christmas should be done. This will be year #3 of "breaking tradition" for myself and to be perfectly honest, I do not look forward to Christmas day. I do not look forward to getting up in the morning, the morning we are to celebrate the birth of Christ by indulging in presents for hours. I am sad I will miss the Christmas day service at my home church, it won't be the same. And for those reading thinking "well your nuts, presents should be done Christmas day." Do as my cousin did and just think how weird it would be for you to skip Christmas eve service and open all your gifts... weird isnt it?! And this again has become more of an issue with me this year because this is my last year having a Christmas with just Ted and myself. Ted and I get the enjoyment (once again) of trying to figure out whose tradition we'll be following.
I know a struggle couples have is mending together traditions. It's hard! And what makes it worse is when it feels like it is you against the world. And this is exactly how I feel, on the issues addressed above as well as ones I am leaving alone at this time. But please, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you're one of the crowd and the crowd is busy singling out someone, think about how they must feel before putting down their "tradition." :)
And Merry Christmas!! :)