After a few years of disappointing holiday seasons, I honestly was not expecting this one to be any different. However, the emergence of new friends and rediscovered family ties, have lead me to once again find the meaning of the Holiday Season.
I will admit, I haven't had the best relationship with some members of my family and after seeing one get extremely upset over the situation, I put myself out there to be a "better person". With help from the other person, we have begun to build a tentative relationship that I hope will become what it should have been to begin with. From before the exchanging of gifts, we both realized the fragile bond. After the gift exchanged and through the simple thoughtful gestures of the little things, we have found new ways in which to strengthen our bond. Crazy what apples and a crock pot can do to a family.
For another family friend, my parents and I played a sort of Santa Claus. The family suffered a tragic and hard loss before Thanksgiving, unemployment, and a extremely small budget. When we heard, we knew that with the economy the way it currently is, everyone deserves a little something. We made it our mission to make sure Santa heard about their plight. (sounds more dramatic then it was...after all, the little wonders that can happen with the help of a little letter to a jolly man in a red suit). To make the holidays better for one small family helped make the purpose of the holiday that much clearer.
Tonight was our first visit back to the Sushi restaurant my mom likes to frequent. Once again it was an enjoyable evening with good food. Before the holidays my mom brought gifts to them, simple scarves and mini maglights. Totally unexpected tonight, one of the girls comes out and give my mom a card from the restaurant with a simple explanation that we are more then customers to them, more like family. As my dad and I joke about meeting family over paying for food my mom goes to hunt down the check. She comes back in shock, the manager had paid for our dinner and the tip to our waitress. In a time where business is tough and every dollar means something, my family was truly touched by their generosity and friendliness that has created a new bond of friendship and another extension of our family this last year.
I must say though that my most fond memory of this Christmas was trying to bet my little cousin her horde of toys from Santa. I told her there were more presents under the tree for her. (I must interject that both her bag was full to the brim and there were quite a few presents still under the tree) She denied it and I asked her if she would be her bag of new toys. Boy!! that look on her face was priceless, the indecision of knowing she was probably right weighted against the hope of more presents. She eventually won her bag of toys and the presents under the tree. I love that little girl too much and it affects my pocket book but I would never trade her joy for any of the money back. (Though if she let me play with Elmo Live, I might be happier =D )
What has become so much more commercial over the years and less about the pleasure of giving, this Christmas has helped me rediscover the joys and the pleasures of a simple smile after a present picked with lots of love and emotion is opened. Whether it is a simple pair of gloves or even an apple, the meaning of the Holidays has become all the more clear.
Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone is safe and well.
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