In my family's annual tradition, my sister, me, and my aunt gathered to bake homemade cookies (call them Christmas cookies for the lawsuit, what the hell), for two days. It's a tradition I value, that allows all of us to take some time and enjoy the holiday as it's meant to be, and remember when there were four times as many people (I'm ballparking since I was about 5 years old) in the family who followed similar traditions.

The Irish and Italian sides of my family really have a dichotomy and than some. The Italian (cookie-baking) side values family ties above all, believes in all members living within a 5 mile radius, and seeing each other as often as possible, and maintaining ties through marriage and beyond.

The Irish side believes in acknowledging dysfunction, yet still loving each other no matter how far they have to travel or accommodate for some form of success. They will push each other out of the nest (usually) no matter how unprepared the person may be, and they will learn the sink or swim mentality with water wings thrown in at the last minute if needed.

When we (at least I) look back on what's made me the way I am, I'm somewhat impressed that I managed to reconcile these two sides in certain ways. I have advocates on both sides of the families, those who understand that maybe I'm not meant for living in suburbia and all the disadvantages/advantages, depending how you look at it, come with that.

Right now I'm watching prices of studios drop below $400,000 and less in Manhattan, and hoping that in a year or so, it really will happen. I may own something instead of renting. Maybe that will make my work feel bad enough not to lay me off (as if!), but it's a theory!