Katharina Buczek
Ever since this woman can remember, her family has always gone on a hike to start off Christmas morning. Her own family did it all throughout her own childhood; plus, her husband’s family did it, and many of her friends do, too.
“For some, it’s just a walk, or others go into the city and do an easy five or ten-kilometer run,” she noted.
Over the last six months, though, her son Porter has been dating a girl named Emily– who will be joining them for Christmas this year.
Emily and Porter will be coming in from the city, which is about three hours away, to stay with her family– which she is very happy about.
After all, she has met Emily before and thinks the young woman is a great match for Porter. And to be honest, she never wanted to be involved in the typical mother-in-law/daughter-in-law drama.
“I know there’s all that hoopla, and I just have no time for any of that. If Porter likes Emily, and she treats him with kindness, and he does the same, then who am I to complain,” she said.
During Thanksgiving, though, she decided to have a Skype call with her son and Emily to go over the plans for Christmas. For instance, who is bringing what items and how the gift exchange works.
It was also during that call that she reminded Emily to bring hiking boots and explained how her family would have “plenty of Yaktrax”– or a walking traction device– just in case the trails get icy.
And after going over all of that, she realized that Emily looked visibly confused. Then, her son’s girlfriend asked why they would need hiking boots at all– which made her realize that her son had never told his girlfriend about the family tradition.
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