needs
It's a new paradigm this Christmas. For starters, due to some scheduling conflicts on Christmas Day, our inter-family gift exchange will be held tonight, on Christmas Eve. This is somewhat strange for me. For my entire life my parents have raised us with the firm, dare I say, immutable law that not a single package is to be opened on Christmas Eve. Presents are for Christmas morning and to sully that with opened packages the night before would only serve to mitigate that wonderful climax at the dawn hours of the 25th. As far as I'm concerned, if there's a god damned scheduling conflict with Christmas, you change your schedule, you sure as hell don't change Christmas . . .
but I guess that's just me.
Anyway, I'm adaptable. I'll get over it and the Christmas spirit will thrive in it's own way despite.
Also on the list of Christmas oddities, I suddenly, and largely of my own accord, became responsible for the purchasing of stocking stuffers this year. This morning I was heading out to pick up a few items for baking when my mother let me know that she had not yet purchased anything for stockings, mostly because of the weather (a lovely, foot-and-a-half-deep parfait of snow and ice). While I was out I decided to take the initiative and fill my mother and father's stockings, making it the first time in my life I've ever done so, for anyone. Someone else in the family has always been responsible for this. What's more, our stockings are usually the most exciting part of the morning. They're laid out for us on the Big Day, usually with one or two special items sitting out to be seen. After some initial excitement at digging through these treasures, than it's breakfast (absolutely no presents before breakfast) and then several hours of gift unwrapping. The stockings though, that's where small and oh so pleasant surprises, inside jokes, tokens of love and affection are exchanged! The pressure was on for me to make my parent's stockings as enjoyable as mine have been for the past 26 years (22, if you only count the ones I can most likely recall).
I think I succeeded. I suppose we'll find out tomorrow.
I did decide on a personal touch by making my mothers special item a bouquet of flowers, which, as far as I know, is the first time this has ever been done in my family. I have no memory of flowers ever haveing been given on Christmas morning. I hope it's a hit, and indicative of my personal involvement in the tradition.
In other news, I have thought about Bekah more in the last few days, missed her, desired her company - her companionship - more in the last few days than I ever have. Having her away for these 10 days has been an interesting time to evaluate my feelings. To realize how kindred we are and how important she is to me. December 27th, the day she comes home, is, at this point, a more exciting day for me than the 25th.
Merry Christmas to all. The season, I have feared, is dying but I believe now that it is only changing.
but I guess that's just me.
Anyway, I'm adaptable. I'll get over it and the Christmas spirit will thrive in it's own way despite.
Also on the list of Christmas oddities, I suddenly, and largely of my own accord, became responsible for the purchasing of stocking stuffers this year. This morning I was heading out to pick up a few items for baking when my mother let me know that she had not yet purchased anything for stockings, mostly because of the weather (a lovely, foot-and-a-half-deep parfait of snow and ice). While I was out I decided to take the initiative and fill my mother and father's stockings, making it the first time in my life I've ever done so, for anyone. Someone else in the family has always been responsible for this. What's more, our stockings are usually the most exciting part of the morning. They're laid out for us on the Big Day, usually with one or two special items sitting out to be seen. After some initial excitement at digging through these treasures, than it's breakfast (absolutely no presents before breakfast) and then several hours of gift unwrapping. The stockings though, that's where small and oh so pleasant surprises, inside jokes, tokens of love and affection are exchanged! The pressure was on for me to make my parent's stockings as enjoyable as mine have been for the past 26 years (22, if you only count the ones I can most likely recall).
I think I succeeded. I suppose we'll find out tomorrow.
I did decide on a personal touch by making my mothers special item a bouquet of flowers, which, as far as I know, is the first time this has ever been done in my family. I have no memory of flowers ever haveing been given on Christmas morning. I hope it's a hit, and indicative of my personal involvement in the tradition.
In other news, I have thought about Bekah more in the last few days, missed her, desired her company - her companionship - more in the last few days than I ever have. Having her away for these 10 days has been an interesting time to evaluate my feelings. To realize how kindred we are and how important she is to me. December 27th, the day she comes home, is, at this point, a more exciting day for me than the 25th.
Merry Christmas to all. The season, I have feared, is dying but I believe now that it is only changing.