A couple of decades ago, my entire family decided we’d all just go on vacation together. No gifts, just enjoy the company. It was fantastic. Since then, almost every x-mas I go on a trip. I’ve been broke forever, so often these trips, are just a week or so camping. People are welcome to come along, but if not, they know that I’m not part of any festivities they have planned. I still get a little pit-of-the-stomach feeling when the time of year rolls back around again, but it is far less than it used to be, and I find myself feeling much better for the coming year.