I would just like to start this by saying I am fully aware that I am very lucky to have both parents still here, and my heart goes out to anyone missing theirs this time of year. This is hugely a first world problem.
I would just hugely appreciate hearing from anyone going through anything similar.
Just need a bit of a sad grumble really - my dad is just a bit... rubbish. He's one of these men who thinks they 'did their best' for having us EOW and paying the CMS minimum growing up, being involved as little as possible outside those visits (despite ample opportunity to do so) and as adults he just hasnt really bothered to get to know us as people. We live in the same small town and I see him once every 3 months for an afternoon despite my encouragement/organising/cajoling (I once figured out I had iniated all meetups for the previous two years and told him i wouldnt be organising anything anymore - didnt see him for 6 months until i caved in and text him)
And then it comes to Christmas and he expects us to play happy families, get drunk together, play games, jolly happy fun times. He doesnt understand that you cant just not bother all year and then expect a tv family christmas. Made more tense by my brother, who is also quite difficult to get on with and i feel responsible for them getting along also. He does suffer with depression, for which I am hugely sympathetic, but when he is doing better he still doesnt really bother with us, but has a full social life with his friends and is always out and about. There's more little things that compound the situation but you get the gist.
He's not a bad bloke. He's just a bit rubbish. And its sad and stressful because he genuinely thinks he's doing his best but it just makes me want to cry.
Anyone else?