December
December, normally one of my favorite times of the year. Over the last few years it doesn’t hold the same thrill and wonder it once did. I can say I was almost kid like with the thrill and wonder of it, baking, putting up decorations, spending more time with family, enjoying the whole wonderment of the season, including the reason for the season. But December has become a tough month for me, my dad passed in mid December 2014, Mom was in and out of the hospital for various ailments at times during the Holidays, with her passing a mere 5 days before Christmas in 2020.
2021, is a year of opportunity, to see if the kid can return to enjoy the season. There is baking to do, a tree to put up, decorations to drive around and see, family to enjoy and so much more!
What is your favorite tradition?
Growing up, we baked together, decorated – all with Christmas music on to help with getting into the Spirit. We went to Christmas Eve Services, sometimes a Candlelight Service (which if you have not been to one you should definitely attend one!) every year, sometimes we had family stay for a period of time, other times it was a horseback ride, or caroling. It was focused on family, which is a tradition I have continued with our children. We incorporated some of both my husband’s traditions with my traditions and added some new ones. Our kids seem to treasure those as we did. When Mom moved down here, she was able to join our traditions, continue some of hers and we added new ones to include her.
Mom loved to come help bake cookies, initially she would help man the oven but eventually she would simply keep us company. She relished those times as well as joining us on Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas. She loved waking up with us on Christmas morning, opening gifts, having dinner and just hanging out with family. We always spoiled her more than usual during Christmas and it was something she largely looked forward to.
So in 2021, will we start a new tradition or simply continue to honor those we already enjoy? That remains in some ways to be seen but I can say that my daughter has started her own new tradition – she has found my mom’s christmas tree (it was a tabletop tree per mom’s request) and put it up, decorated it with Mom’s favorite bulbs, plugged it in (Mom seldom plugged it in as the cord did not reach where she always placed it) and on occasion when I pop my head in to talk with her she shares memories of their time together. So I guess I can say that a new tradition has been born out of Mom’s passing.
What other tradition might we start? That remains to be seen, it is only the beginning of December. How about you? What traditions do you have ? How have your traditions changed with COVID for your family?
