Happy Holidays
I’ve been trying to get in the mood to post for days now, but eh, December. It’s tough. I believe it’s a stressful time even for those of us that don’t really celebrate it. It’s, well, it’s the holidays and there is just way too many activities that keep us all busy. Company parties, shopping, being merry, keeping it cam-room-festive. It’s just blah. Ugh.
Okay, so that wasn’t at all what I intended to share with you, so allow me to start anew.
Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas to those of you that believe. Christmas was a trying time in my house growing up. It wasn’t miserable, by any means, but it certainly was not fun, but not for lack of effort on Mom’s part. Dad, he hated all things Christmas. HATED it. For reasons that I don’t care to share here, no offense, but it is not something that needs to be shared openly. I know, not cool, but that’s that, moving on.
Mom would put up the tree the weekend before the 25th, with a few houses for the town village. The ornaments were all made at school by me, my twin and our two older brothers. It was a modest tree that she bought in the 1950’s and we were still using it in the 90’s.
Dad would turn grumpy as soon as he walked in and saw that damn tree lit up. Gah. As a kid, I ignored it. As a teenager not so much. It down right annoyed me that he couldn’t just fucking fake it for once. ha!
As an adult, I grew into that grumpy grinch that loved to hate all things Christmas. I was good at it and I really did enjoy not liking it. It was my thing and I became Dad in many ways, and I was okay not faking it. But then I went and found happy and now I have no reason to hate the month of December, although I am not fond of the abundance of gift giving. I know it’s a thing, but it ruins the spirit of the whole idea of what some believe Christmas is all about. With that said, I do love giving gifts, but within reason. I mean, I could have easily kept buying stuff for the nieces but at some point enough is enough and they don’t need more stuff. It’s just stuff.
Gah! None of this is what I had intended to jot down, but here we are. One last thing on all of this, in which I did not mean to share, Mom loved Dad and Dad loved Mom. They were just from a different generation and even though Mom probably grew to hate the 25th just as much as Dad, she believed in faking it for the kids… so, happy fucking holidays, friends. ha!
No matter what you choose to do on this wonderfully weird day that the entire world stops for, make it a good one. Today is a good day for a good day! It is up to us to make it what we want. In Abby’s household, we are staying home, enjoying the snowstorms, smoking a prime rib, baking a pecan pie (with non-homemade crust *gasp*) and most likely watching movies… or at least one movie. It’s a day off, so enjoy it for that and don’t put too much stock in it not being a hallmark card. Today is a good day for a good day!
3 Comments
Buddy Ousley
Wow. That really touched my heart.
Cowboybubba
You know my story. HEB killed the joy of every holiday for me. I can’t even look forward to our tradition of going to the Alamo and saying a prayer for those who are gone. The one who made sure we did it is now gone.
I still call our sisters and Mitzi and wish them a Merry Christmas. I put a new wreath on the door. But, it’s nothing like when I was a child. No driving around looking at the houses all decorated. No stopping for hot chocolate or ice cream before going home. No finding out Santa stopped in before we got back. No opening the presents while eating cookies and dry sausage. Then going to bed and getting up and going out to play with all our new stuff.
Dave went to bed at 7pm and I’m here at 11:30pm writing this.
Merry Christmas to all. And, to all a goodnight!!
Angel
Yes, but nothing is ever like it was for us as a kid. Though, I do understand how HEB killed your spirit, but I don’t think it was the company, but the fact you worked retail during the holidays. I know I could not do that job, but especially during the month of December. I think we have the ability to make it what we need it to be, and that can evolve as we get older and change with each new year. We normally spend today with family, giving the nieces gifts and enjoying dinner cooked by my sister in law, but because it had to be cancelled this year, we picked up a prime rib and some other stuff to make a nice dinner for just the two of us. It has been a beautiful day, and the tree was down before 1p, much to Abby’s chagrin, but she survived the ever changing room that she knows as her own. lol. Happy Holidays, Bubba.