LadyFish
Admiral
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,894
Christmas, everyone's favorite time of the year. I don't know about you, but Christmas is the day I waited for every year as a kid. No other day was more important to me than Christmas was. I can remember it like those days were just yesterday. I loved opening the gifts and eating the big meals with my family. I'll be the first to admit, I didn't really care who I was was with, I just wanted the presents. <br /><br />Now that I am grown up and I can reflect back on the days, I kind of regret not enjoying the family part of Christmas. I know I can't change what happened in the past, but when I got married and moved to Texas, I promised myself that I would try and make Christmas a family thing and carry on the traditions I enjoyed as a child. I wanted to make it a special time, not just a time where we get to open up presents. One of my big problems was as a kid that I didn't understand that meaning of Christmas. I just thought it was the day we got to open up all our gifts.<br /><br />When I grew up I started to understand what it was all about. Christmas is a time of sharing and being with the ones you love. It's not about getting, it's about giving. As a parent I tried to teach my daughter that. I dind't want her going through Christmas not knowing the true meaning.<br /><br />Christmas at our house means nothing, if family isn't there. That has been one of the hardest things for me to handle being 2,000 miles away from family. I have one sister that lives in Texas and we try to share the holiday most years. But in the last 25 years its only been a handful of times. When we do get together, we share some really fond memories of cutting down the Christmas tree, ice skating on the lake, singing Christmas carolls with the family around the piano and sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to see what Santa left us.<br /><br />One tradition we had when I was growing up was going to church on Christmas Eve with the whole family-Midnight Mass. It was a special time for all of us.<br /><br />We learned to help the less fortunate during Thanksgiving and Christmas from our Dad. He always made us kids take part in the annual Elks Club feed the hungry. I remember putting meals together and delivering them. Back then I knew it was a good thing to do, but really didn't realize that gesture was so appreciated. Today we give to a youth group or choose a gift to give from the children's wish list from the local Women's Crisis Center. It really makes you feel good to know that you making one little guy or gals material wish come true. But I'm sure what they need most is a gift only their parents can give...love and family.<br /><br />What does Christmas mean to you and your family? I hope it means spending time with the ones you love. Presents aren't what matter, it's about being with your family. I know kids don't understand that, but one day they will understand. And when they do, they will cherish December 25 even more than they did when they were a kid. They will understand why we sometimes have to be with relatives that they might not like, they are family and family is the most important thing during Christmas. <br />
<br />Merry Christmas everyone! <br />Have a safe and happy holiday season.
<br /><br />Actually, the family portion is very important, we all have been scattered throughout the globe for the last few decades, and are now within 30 miles of eachother, except for one brother over in Seattle. He refuses to come and see any of us, he feels that we should go to him. When My mom lived over in Seattle, I would spend the 6-7 hours driving over there, get on the ferry, spend another 30 minutes, and get to her place (She lived on Bainbridge Island). Could he get off his arse and come over to her house? Nope. If I wanted to see him, I would have to get back on the ferry and screw around with Seattle crap. Needless to say, I didn't do it. <br /><br />There is a lot of childhood sentiment. I used to love the anticipation, the lights, the tree. Now, thats all I really look forward to, is the lights and tree. If people get me gifts, fine, if they don't, fine. Now, when I have to go to Wal-mart for one little item and fight the Christmas shoppers, that tends to diminish the experience a bit...
