I realize that I’ve already over-covered the Holidays Are Hell Syndrome in the adoption of older children. Now I’m coming at it from an advanced perspective. Eventually this syndrome can fade from memory.

Now after many, many years, with the successful navigation of family dinners and other holiday expectations exceeded, my grown children are happy participants, paving the way for the younger children to finally follow suit.

I’ve proved for so many years that I, unlike the birth parents from which they were removed, will not drink alcohol nor use drugs and mess up a celebration. Conversely I’ll cook my brains out, maintain law and order, and provide yet another happy experience to remember fondly.

One of my newest sons, coming up on his three year anniversary in late winter, had a slight meltdown the day after Thanksgiving as he struggled to allow himself to trust that our fun festivities will indeed continue. It was a mild fit involving some furniture throwing, door slamming and screaming, but no walls were punched and he got himself together right quickly, realizing that the party was continuing without him.

The addition of so many grandchildren, innocents of the foster care system, unscathed by trauma, simply adorable babies who reach out happily to all my children has cemented the only option we’d have had anyway which is to be happy and thankful at Thanksgiving.

I do have several children still unable to join us due to skirmishes with the police or other facilities in which they currently reside, but I also have other children successfully on the other side of past incarcerations.

I have my darling daughters, pictured here, now in their 20s and 30s, self-supporting and striving forward in life.

All in all, calmness prevailed and we had a ton of food to eat, stretching our day until later that night, eating until 60 pounds of turkey disappeared within six hours provoking me to remark, “Ten pounds an hour? Gross!”

With five confirmed vegetarians not participating in the turkey consumption, these figures are even more amazing. What I may have lacked in the fowl department, I made up for calorically by two slices of carrot cake and several pieces of cranberry dark chocolate blonde brownies.

A long weekend at home also helps us maintain and continue our progress as a family.

Photo Credit Cindy Bodie