—Merry Christmas—
Merry Christmas.—I hate Using Exclamation Points.
My Momma, who has lost a Son, Grandson, Daughter In Law, Mother, and Father, says that this is going to be the best Christmas since 2009. That’s right.— since 2009.
She said our Thanksgiving was the best Thanksgiving in many years too.
Growing up, Christmas Day was always spent at Nana and Pawpaw’s house. Thanksgiving was always at Nana and Pawpaws too.
Each year, Nana would buy a new Tree Ornament for each of her Grandchildren.
And all the Grandchildren, including me, would go to the Christmas Tree and find our new Ornament for that year.
Nana had so many Grandchildren that she had to make a shopping list so that she didn’t forget anyone.
And this one year, I remember it well; every Grandchild got the same gift they got from Nana and Pawpaw the year before. Nana had accidentally used the same Christmas Shopping List that she used the year before. So, we all got the same thing.
It didn’t bother me to get the same gift as last year. She had given me a Chemistry set, and I had used up all my Plutonium! Man, the old Chemistry Sets were great. (That is the Proper Placement of the Exclamation point. Plutonium!)
On Christmas Day, games were played, food was eaten, and gifts were exchanged.— Laughter was heard throughout the home.
As a kid, I never Fathomed that it would change.
Then, in 2005, when Nana died, it all changed.
The entire family would begin having Thanksgiving somewheres else.
The Christmas Get-Together would change as well.
Each individual family that used to spend Christmas at Nana and Pawpaw’s would begin spending Christmas with their immediate family.
I didn’t mean for this journal entry to become a downer. It seems to have gone that way, though, But I’m about to make my point. Hang tight.
On the way into my room to write this, I passed three Christmas Trees.
Two regular Trees and One Tree that is full of Christmas Ornaments for the Grandchildren belonging to this family. Around twenty-something years worth of ornaments. Each year, Mom buys a new Christmas Ornament for each Grandchild.
I walked into Momma’s bedroom, and she had her excel spreadsheet up and was crossing off the gifts she had purchased thus far this year.
And this Saturday, during our Christmas Get-Together, the Grandkids will look for their Christmas Tree Ornaments.
Games will be played, food will be eaten, and laughter will be heard throughout the home. Because, as I said in the beginning, Momma says this is going to be the best Christmas since 2009.
Merry Christmas, Everyone.
