Today is Christmas Eve. Last night I had a bit of a breakdown when I came to the realization that this may be our last Christmas with my dad. I can't imagine ever celebrating another family event without him being there.
I have been thinking about all of the Christmases I celebrated. I remember the anticipation and excitement of Christmas Eve as a little girl! We would go to candlight service at church. The whole time all I could think about was getting to Grandma and Grandpa's house afterward so we could open presents. When we got home we would leave out cookies and a beer for Santa (my dad's idea of course)!
I remember waking up in my bed and wondering what time it was, and if it was late enough that I could wake my parents up to see what Santa brought us. My parents would walk down the steps rubbing the sleep from their eyes. I always wondered how they could be tired on a day like that! It's Christmas, how could anyone want to sleep in on Christmas?
We would open presents, and we usually got what we had asked for. I remember one year getting a Nintendo, and thinking that no other Christmas would ever top that year. Looking back, it's amazing knowing that my parents were the ones who provided us all those wonderful presents all those years. They always made Christmas special.
After presents, my dad would always make a faboulous breakfast. Eggs, bacon,toast, sausage, as we assembled and played with all the goodies Santa brought us. Long after I moved out, there were weekends I would stay at my parents house, just so I could have dad cook me breakfast in the morning. It is one of my fondest memories of him!
Even though this may be our last Christmas with my dad, I know that his legacy and traditions will live on through all of us. I hope to see the same excitement and wonder in my children's eyes on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. I will have Jason eat the cookies and drink the beer that we leave for Santa. We will make our kids a faboulous breakfast. And I will always dig deep inside me to remember the wonderful Christmases my mom and dad made for me as a child.
Merry Christmas everyone! May it be filled with wonder and magic!
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