Christmas Day
Merry Christmas!*
You hear these words a lot this time of the year but this Christmas has been tough for me. I kinda felt it yesterday before Hope and I got to my Grandmother’s house here in Georgia, but I felt better after actually making it here and being with family and doing a lot of the normal Christmas things like going to look at Christmas lights and having my Dad read to everyone. Tonight though, the feeling is back. This Christmas has been different of course. For one, it’s the first Christmas that my Grandmother hasn’t been here. She’s now living in a nursing home closer to where we live. My Mom’s sister didn’t get here until dinner time tonight – she usually gets here at the latest, Christmas Eve. We usually get Santa Claus stuff right when we wake up in the morning, and open presents after breakfast. This year, we didn’t open presents until after our Christmas dinner. Nobody really complained though since I think everyone was happy and content with things we’d gotten earlier. Momma and Daddy were busy with cooking late in the afternoon anyway. Waiting was actually good since we could at least open presents with Susan (my Aunt) as we usually do.
This afternoon was weird and kind of sad in another way as well. My mom found a tape with the other Christmas music that had my Grandmother playing the piano and talking with people from who knows how long ago – probably at least five, and probably more like 10 years ago. She’s getting old now, has Parkinson’s disease and just doesn’t have her mind like she used to. It’s more than a little sad. :(
This Christmas is also the first one that my Dad’s mother has been gone. She died in August. We didn’t see her that often, but I know he misses her.
Family stuff isn’t the only thing that has me kinda down this Christmas. I hold work circumstances far too closely than I really should. It was only by some small miracle that I didn’t have to go back to South Carolina tonight to be at work tomorrow. It’s extremely frustrating and really had me down because I just couldn’t seem to get something done that really needed to be done. But the miracle happened and even though work stuff isn’t done and even though I am likely to be called tomorrow, I didn’t have to go back. I realize that I should put this all out of my thoughts, but everything is all intertwined.
Things are not all bad though. The real reason for the season is cause for great joy – today symbolizes the birth day of Jesus, Son of God. Yet another reason to celebrate is Hope being here this Christmas – last year she couldn’t come home from her year-long mission trip. I’m surrounded by loving family. I was able to give cool gifts that the recipients love, especially Emily and the Kentucky-South Carolina basketball game tickets I got her. That made me feel really good.
Overall, I guess it wasn’t such a bad Christmas after all. :)
* This entry was begun Christmas Day night. The last sentence was added today.
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