Holiday Celebrations

Well, Christmas is over for another year. This year was very different from the last few. Last year we transitioned into Christmas without Daddy. This year my father-in-law was here for the first time since Hubster and I married 24 years ago. It was so nice for him to be able to join us; unfortunately, my mother-in-law passed this summer, so we were now missing two loved ones at our table.

Christmas around the table

Now add in that my Sister-in-law's dad also joined us for Christmas this year. Her mother passed several years ago and since their family had Christmas on Christmas Eve we didn't want him to be alone! So he came and had fun with us!

I must say, it all turned out rather fun. We ended up with three senior citizens at our grand little party, two in their eighties and one over 90! We helped each other get from chair to table and back again, laughed at crazy jokes, and just flat-out relaxed. It was nice to hear their stories from back in the day, as they compared how each, living such different lives, had experienced the "war years," who they knew in common, and every day living in general.

As usual, we had ribs from Frankie's Rib, picked up on Christmas Eve right before we headed to church for the special service. It's always nice to have church like that... after all, we know why we really have Christmas, don't we? For our Greatest Gift of All!

My Florida kids couldn't come for Christmas, spending it with their Florida family this year. But they came up to celebrate the New Year. After they helped us take down and put away the Christmas tree and all the trimmings we had lunch out New Year's Eve. We just had to have some excuse to take a ride in our new red 2016 Ford Escape! Later they headed to her dad's house to watch the ball drop (I'm afraid this household is rather dull on New Year's Eve night, going to bed well before the ball is ready to fall). But on New Year's Day we'll all be in attendance for a Black-Eyed Peas supper at "Grammy's" house, followed by her wonderful pineapple pie!

We may miss folks and feel a little down over the holidays, but we know where they are, know they are watching over us, and (most importantly) know we'll see them again. My prayer is that we can make them proud of us in 2016 and that we can follow their examples of kindness and compassion, living our lives to the fullest, without regret, in the months ahead. Happy New Year to all!!