It’s almost Christmas!
This month has both flown by, and dragged. (Yes, yes, 2020 syndrome, shut up.) I managed to finish all my Christmas shopping by the 10th, and every day since just seems to crawl.
Mom and I were sitting around after dinner last night, reminiscing about Christmases of past. It’s something we end up doing at least twice every holiday season, and it’s something that I very much enjoy.
She reminded me of when I was nine, and I was acting so damn greedy. I wanted everything that year, I fully admit it. I was jealous of my neighbors, who already knew what their big presents were for that year. I was a total brat. So, Dad took some charcoal and wrapped it and made that my only present under the tree – after spending all holiday season telling me that if I didn’t change my attitude, all I’d get is coal. Yep, I got coal! And after I cried and apologized, I got my actual presents. Less than normal, but still there. And I was a major life lesson that I still think about.
In contrast, I reminded her of the year I had to work on Christmas, so we didn’t get to open presents that morning as a family. She ended up driving up to our family in the Tampa area without me to spend Christmas afternoon with them. It’s the year I bought my Florida cousins a PS2 and Kingdom Hearts (this was before the PS4 came out). I wrapped every piece of the PS2. The cords, the two controllers, the game INSIDE the box, EVERYTHING. Mom attempted to film the opening everything, but she managed to film herself, because Mom + iPhone = chaos. The best part about that Christmas was that I was able to leave at 4 and make it for dinner, which Mom or the kids didn’t know. I got to surprise them on Christmas!
A Christmas that really sticks with both of us is the one right after Dad died. Mom was able to get up in at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort from the 22nd to the 24th of December. For Christmas morning, after we got home, my great aunt and uncle joined us for Christmas morning so that we could have a family Christmas. It’s honestly one of my most treasured Christmas memories.
One of the Christmas I really want to always remember was the first one I experienced when we moved to California. We’d only been in our apartment for a few weeks, and we didn’t have the money to buy a tree or anything really. I didn’t have a job yet. So, we had my tiny silver tree, my RT box that came right before Christmas, and a new copy of Monopoly. And you know what? It was an amazing Christmas.
Actually, every Christmas is always great, and that’s because I make a point to celebrate it with the people I love. It really doesn’t matter what end up under our tree, or what food we make, or how crazy the day ends up being. I just try to always look on the bright side and be with family in some way. And that, my friends, is my favorite type of Christmas memory. The ones I make make with others.
Until next time!
Note: This is officially the only post that is going up late. I’ve managed to get every other post this month scheduled for 12pm PST (whether or not WordPress posts at that time is more of a mystery). Unfortunately, today’s was delayed in being completed, leaving it my only post going up in the afternoon. Hey, better than Blogtober, where I think I managed to schedule like three posts total, and I took it as a win if I posted before 11PM.