Expectations and reality....

The story opens with Harriet mourning her grandchildren. As it turns out, this is a very selfish thing she is doing -- she's really mourning grandchildren that will never be born, as if she had the right to expect them to come into existence.

It is right and proper for a parent to have dreams for their children. It is wrong for them to dictate those dreams or consider themselves hard done by if the child disagrees with those dreams. Harriet had realistic expectations, but reality didn't fit those expectations and her response was to mourn the loss of her dreams. Her dreams, not Matt's.

We then learn that Harriet had valid concerns for her youngest son. This redeemed her in my eyes, to some extent. Her concerns were based on false information, but how much of that was her fault? She wanted her son to be happy, to share a love for life. She just didn't know that that was still a possibility because she only knew part of what it can mean to be gay. It was only at the end of the story that her eyes started to open to the real possibilities for Matt.

Abby, however, stole the scene. At least in my opinion. There's something about roast butt that does that....

I think what I liked best was that Harriet was starting to get a dose of reality. She's a very interesting characther, and one doesn't have much sympathy for her wishes. Homosexuality aside, she's being incredibly self-centered. But I think she's beginning to see that at the end of the story, and that, to me, makes this a wonderful Christmas story.

Nice story... I like how it shows the common misconceptions being dispelled.

I definately would like to see how Matt and his roommate met and came to find out about each other. I would also love to see where they go from where the story left off..... I want to see how Harriet lets her son know that she has come to accept him as he is.

Great Job.

I like the character Harriet. She is what I would imagine the typical uninformed mother would be of a homosexual child. The idea that she is warming up to the realization her son Matt is gay makes her loving. She did come across as self-centered and selfish, but in such a basic way that I can't hold it against her. If she didn't ever realize that her son would never marry a girl I would've had a problem with her, but in the end she did see that Love is beautiful and her Son and his boyfriend was the couple to rekindle that feeling for her. The last person she thought about when it came to love and relationships.


Anyway, this was a great Christmas story and I enjoyed it. Good job.


Krista

Ah, the heartwarming family Christmas with everyone home for the holiday. Harriet has a house full and a lot of worries and misunderstanding about her youngest. I would've enjoyed seeing continue down the stairs for that cup of tea and maybe a quiet talk with Matt and his roommate, but Harriet isn't that kind of person. She accepts her fate, albeit sometimes grudgingly.

Great story!


Carl

Awww! That was so sweet and I think that the message was nice too. I find the character, Harriet interesting, but not evry lovable. She’s very real, according to me. She’s what you would expect from a real person. The selfish desires, the fact of seeing what she wants to and so on. Well developped. J

Nice!

Take care,
Ieshwar

Thanks for all the nice comments. I'm glad you guys liked it. I was a little hesitant about making her so unapealing but I have met people like Harriet. They're anoying to say the least and worst of all you can't quite hate them because you know they mean well.

I thought Harriet was just a Mom. Motherly in every imaginable way, it's a realistic thought to want grandchildren and all that. She was understanding her son's relationship in the end.. and I could imagine their next family Christmas being a lot different. You did capture her character well.

Krista