—Family Christmas Party 1—
I went to my first Christmas Party today.
The “Thomas Christmas Party” is one that I look forward to each year.
I took my late brothers’ two daughters with me. (They live with Momma and Papa as well as me. So they’re more like sisters to me instead of being my nieces. )
I thought and thought about what I should wear to the Party.
It’s going to sound silly, but I always paid attention to what Papa wore to all the outings that he took us on when I was growing up.
Sometimes he wore a suit and tie. Other times he wore a sweater over a dress shirt. The fact that I paid attention to what he was wearing made me think that my nieces/sisters might just be paying attention to what I wear to our outings.
So, I thought I would wear a suit and tie out to the Party.
I thought, “I want them to see the serious side of me.”
Then I thought, “no, I’ll wear slacks and a Sports Jacket and show the laid-back side of me.”
“If I paid attention to what Papa wore, then they’re probably paying attention to what we wear,” I again thought to myself.
Then, I put it out of my mind.
I packed a bunch of Snowglobes into a box to give to my Aunts and Uncles as well as some of my Cousins.
I then got out four Sweet Onions and cut the onions up into slices.
I put the onions into a Tupperware bowl, grabbed a bundle of Green Onions, and put them into a Mason Jar. Then, when I arrived at the Party, I put the onions out so that we would all have a slice of onion to go with our food. That’s the bachelors’ way of doing things.
On our drive over, my fourteen-year-old niece asked me a serious question that was on her mind. I’m not going to reveal what she said. It’s between us. But, I answered her question, and she came back with a statement that has floored me. It was so sweet and truthful, and… just wow… I’ve done nothing but think about that statement.
She is so young, sweet, and innocent, with a heart that is …pure love.
I wish she didn’t have to grow up. Because this is a cruel world, it’s a hard world to live in, and I don’t want her to experience it.
Both she and her sister have lost their mother and father. That’s why momma and Papa are raising them. That’s why I wonder which outfit I should wear. Yes, back to me wondering what to wear. “What do I want them to see me wearing?” I thought. “They might pay attention to how I dress for these occasions.”
“Suit and Tie? Slacks and Sports Jacket?” I pondered all day long on it.
In the end, I think I picked out the right outfit.
—See Picture Below
The Party was beautiful.
That’s all for now.
Love you,
–Lynn
