As I cleaned up the remnants of the day, I couldn't help but wonder if there was ever a way to please everyone. Perhaps some traditions, no matter how burdensome, are too entrenched to change. Or perhaps, I thought with a heavy heart, the problem wasn't the tradition itself, but the expectations and entitlements it fostered

As I cleaned up the remnants of the day, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was ever a way to please everyone. Perhaps some traditions, no matter how burdensome, are too entrenched to change. Or perhaps, I thought with a heavy heart, the problem wasn’t the tradition itself, but the expectations and entitlements it fostered

Year after year, Vincent’s extensive family would show up uninvited for his birthday, leaving me, Aria, to prepare meals for the hungry horde with no help or gratitude. This time, I decided to switch tactics, hoping to reclaim some joy in our celebration. But not all plans lead to the outcomes we hope for, and sometimes, they can unravel in ways we never anticipated.