Holiday Memories…
As December begins to pick up steam, bells ring out in the cold, and Christmas and New Year lie bright and shimmering ahead, I can't help but think back to memories of the past. As with Scrooge's spirits, those memories come, for me, in three very different apparitions: Long Past, Children's Past, and the Recent Past.
The long ago past, when I was a child, seem little more than fuzzy black and white photos that your grandmother had in a chest up in the attic. Moments at my grandmother's, and at the houses we lived in as I was growing up. A yellowed snapshot here and there, a special moment remembered…and all with the disclaimer that I may be remembering things the way I want to remember them, not necessarily the way they really were.
Then come the busy, invigorating years when our children were young. The years when we had more joy and energy than money. Mostly I see those years through their eyes, or here again, maybe the way I believe they saw them. I wanted them all to love and cherish those times, those traditions. I wish that I could go back and make them even more special, but then, don't we all. Those moments were mostly at our house, or on the slopes at the country club, family dinners at our house and my sister's house, her fish chowder Christmas Eve, brightly decorated Christmas trees, Nativity scenes, wrapping presents, laughter and good cheer. Reading the Night Before Christmas, hot chocolate after snow ball fights and sledding. Popcorn and watching the holiday favorites. Our house was the "hub" that the holiday revolved around during those times.
Finally comes the recent past. Celebrations at our various children's houses. Different years, different houses. Our eyes widening at the mounds of presents our wonderful grandchildren get. Thankful to be a part of the gathering, but realizing that we are no longer the "hub". We are peripheral, although definately loved and cared about. That's a hard realization, especially at this joyous time of year.
Now, as we get our house around for Christmas, my wife and I will make it all look very festive and beautiful, perhaps nicer than we ever had money or time for before when we had children at home. But we also know that no one in our family will probably ever see it this year. We will go to Christmas Eve and morning at one of our sons's and Christmas afternoon at one of our daughter's. Then we'll come back late and go to bed. So as we light the tree, hang the wreaths and put up the stockings, we do it for ourselves and for the memories of Christmas past. Not a sad realization, but a thoughtful one. We will make our own holiday memories and honor the traditions.
What are your Christmas memories?
May the dragons watch over you...
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