Christmas ponderings

Sitting here in the kitchen this morning by myself with my mind and go to thinking. My wife is a registered nurse and is off to work this morning. Thankfully, she is able to spend Christmas at home. We will be spending Christmas with her family tomorrow. Today I will spend the day with my parents and siblings and later with my mother's siblings and their kids and grandkids. Anyway I got to thinking of the past and how we try to stick with tradition, I know traditions have been mentioned on this site many times, but bear with me. Mom's family has always gotten together on Christmas Eve, a time honored tradition set by my great grandparents and later grandparents. We always have a spiral cut ham and fry slices with bbq sauce to make ham sandwiches and everyone brings a side dish and we all visit and then the kids open presents. As of late as the family has grown it has been harder to get everyone home for Christmas, and it has been more difficult to avoid the disputes of setting time and even of maintaining the tradition of Christmas Eve. I know that each of feels that something is missing from these traditions, I have even heard mention that some among us feel it is becoming harder to find joy in the Christmas season. Time changes everything, nothing is ever quite how we remembered it or wished it to be. Therefore, the best we can do is to recreate and preserve these traditions as best that we can in order to honor the memories of those we miss and make memories for the children around us. This Christmas, let us find joy in our families, our friends and the One who was, who is and who is to come. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you also.Ron Mn..

Merry Christmas,Eric.Enjoy your family.We have no
family close by,our son is far away in the US navy.

Erik, I know your sentiments. We too have a large family and it becomes increasingly more difficult each year to "get everyone there". It's a fact of life that children grow and move on...having their own families. I for one know that they would "be there" if they could. It is impossible for us now to continue the traditions that we knew as kids. Know in your mind that those who can't be there "want to be". Try not to dwell upon those absent....as it takes away from "the now". Enjoy those present and remember all the others. Merry Christmas Erik.
Randall

I agree with what you are saying. When Mom, and Dad were alive we would always meet at the home place for Christmas dinner. Mother would fix a big meal for everyone. After dinner we would open our gifts. Now things are different. Everyone comes to our place for breakfast Christmas morning. Then we open our gifts. The girls, and their familys live fairly close, so we all can get together. Still miss the old times. Stan

With what you're saying, we only have two grown kids, both of them are married and each have two of their own. No more than that, it's hard to get them together. One set of them totally missed coming on Thanksgiving, and now for Christmas the same left for a Florida vacation with their kids and kids' friends. If we're lucky we might all have Christmas at New Years- and we've never done anything to cause this. It bothers my wife but I'm used to it.

I know what you mean. My sisters and I (and our families) always get together for Christmas, but its generally the Saturday after the 25th, because we've all got kids and grandkids of our own to spend Christmas with. Even that's getting harder- one of my sons moved 4 hours away for work last summer, so they won't be coming over this year (and his inlaws came up from Texas for the holidays)- but we had Christmas with them 2 weeks ago.

You just have to improvise, and be flexible, to get everybody together. My wife is a wizard at that- she can always "negotiate" a time, and then puts on a huge dinner. She welcomes any help, but is willing and able to do the whole thing herself, cheerfully, if need be. She's determined to keep the traditions going, and we're the ones with the big enough house (and cooking skills) to make it happen.

Merry Christmas to all! Be glad for whatever family celebrations you can have, and don't let the absence of some spoil it. Remember, your kids inlaws are pulling at them too, and take the choices they make gracefully. By being disagreeable, you make their choice easier next time, if you get my drift.

Between family members divorces, being away from home most of the time, and 25 years in the service (retired a couple years back). Christmas Day usually isn't much different than any other day. Have had as many if not more "Christmas" with family on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Most people have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas anyway. Seems like it's all too commercialized and very little paying tribute to who's birthday it is. I've spent Christmas alone and/or with a group of people where we set up a table when we could and had a gathering of friends and these are some of my most cherished Christmas memories.

Due to the number of hypocrits I've seen in the churches, seldom visit the Boss' house. I figure he and I can talk and discuss things just as well anywhere. He sure doesn't need another heathen/hypocrit sitting in his house pretending to be a "good christian" when as soon as they are out the church door that's not the case.

Hope everyone enjoys a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.

I'll be going back to work in January, which is a good thing since I'll need the extra money to help pay taxes.

Traditional Christmas, I would LOVE to have a
traditional Christmas as I remember them from my
childhood - but for me that will NEVER happen. The
only thing that I have ever wanted out of life was
to have children and have a family of my own.
Unfortunately, I have outlived 2 wives and all 7
of my children. Both of my parents are gone, and
my two sisters who are at opposite ends of the
country, are busily involved with their own
families. So, it's just me and my pet goat Bambi,
together again for another lonely Christmas.

Merry Christmas to ALL & have a SAFE & Happy
Holidays.

Where do you live? Maybe some other yt'ers are near enough you could get together. Chris

Most meaningful Christmas I have ever had was in Vietnam in 1970. Made me really realize what Christmas is about.

Amen!
A Blessed Christmas to all my friends at YT.
Hendrik, from The Netherlands.

Merry Christmas everyone. As far back as I can remember and up until Mom died a few years ago, us kids and our kids always got together at her house every Christmas. Since she's been gone, my brothers and sisters get together with their kids. I'm divorced (not complaining) and I have one son. He goes to his wife's relation for the day. I spent a couple hours there today. My Christmas will be spent with Allis. Not quite sure how that will work with five Olivers watching.

Stan - think of it this way: breakfast at your place is now the tradition.