Christmas Eve 2009

I guess all of us have some idea of what the perfect holiday is. It is probably made up of memories from childhood, not always accurate, probably department store fantasy, probably some preconceived notion of what it is SUPPOSED to be. At any rate, for many of us, the perfect holiday is probably not achievable -- too much perfection involved.

This Christmas was no different for me. I harken back to the Christmas's of my childhood -- great recollections of going to relatives houses, egg nog and black olives (thanks for the memory, Penny), lots of gifts, real trees, big, colorful lights and food. Teenage years brought Christmas parties at home with all the neighborhood kids -- dancing school Christmas parties, new Bobbie Brooks skirts and sweaters, the boyfriend coming home from A&M for the holidays -- blue northers blowing through south Texas that would chill you to the bone only to be gone the next day! Of course, my memory likes to obliterate the thoughts of cedar allergies (yes, even back then), calendar towels, relatives arguing and messing up the whole thing for others. But, hey, it is my perfect vision -- I have the right to obliterate those things.

Then I think back to my children's Christmas's. We were always at the grandparents houses, lots of toys and food and happiness all around. Of course, my selective memory is leaving out the little boy so desperately allergic to the winter that he was sick every year with horrible earaches but he wouldn't give up and give in -- had to go on. I am also choosing to forget how sick the little girl got sitting on bales of hay while portraying a lovely little lamb in the church Christmas pagent. I still have the cotton ball covered hat. No, my dream holiday doesn't include sick children.

I sort of thought I was going to have the perfect holiday this year. We were going to go to daughter's house on Christmas Eve and, in anticipation of the "wintery weather" we were planning on spending the night -- a first for us. I was looking very forward to this since Christmas Eve is, in my "perfect holiday", the epitome of Christmas. Well.....this happened.



The wind was blowing like a hurricane and the event was aptly dubbed "a BLIZZARD". It must have been because we had snow drifts in the yard.

And ice in the birdbath.

In the spirit of the sick little boy of the years past, we wouldn't let this get us down. We were determined to get to daughters house for an evening of holiday food, movies and perfection so we forged ahead. Heading down the highway to pick up Grandmother we saw an accident. Not a tragic accident but more an inconvenient accident for those involved. At Grandmother's house it was harrowing to see the elderly bundling up against the bitter cold wind trying to maneuver walkers through slush, blowing snow and patches of thin ice. However, with Grandmother bundled into the back seat and gifts and food safely ensconsed in the trunk off we go -- retracing our travel, back on the highway, there is another accident. No driver in sight, one car sideways in the road -- no damage -- not sure what happened but everybody was slamming on brakes, sliding dangerously close to one another. That is when I got THE LOOK from the hubby. You know, the one that lets you know that this just isn't going to happen. Well, it didn't -- circling around, back on the highway for the third time back to Grandmother's we went to drop her off at her apartment and venture home. The streets were freezing much quicker than we anticipated and visibility was scary to say the least. Obviously my dream holiday vision was evaporating fast. I was angry and disappointed not to mention just a little more than frightened at the prospect of winding up in a 20+ car pile up less than a mile from my house.

The Perfect Christmas Eve was not to happen this year so I threw myself a huge pity party instead and spent the evening doing laundry which my husband was very thankful for - so glad I could oblige him.

However, Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny and even though the streets were bad and we didn't venture out to church, the afternoon turned out to be very enjoyable. The daughter and hubby came over and spent the afternoon, we had a little food and exchanged some gifts and had a good time -- well as good as I could under the influence of Benadryl and feeling like a wrung out dishrag -- oh, yes, I forgot to mention that the cedar fever is hanging on way, way too long now.
And, we did have a lot of fun with the family cat. Our Rollie had found his gifts a few days before and we had to hide them from him. When I finally remembered where I had put them, I wrapped them up for him and let him go to town unwrapping his loot! He really likes to get "into" the spirit of things!




And, mission accomplished! Of course, he only went after the catnip laced items and left the jingley balls in the bag. He is such a catnip snob!




The evening was spent at our son's house with him, our daughter in law and grandchildren. Grandmother got her day out, we didn't do any slipping and sliding and a good time was had by all. I would post photos if I had taken any but the Benadryl has robbed me of my mind and I forgot to take the camera out of my purse! Oh well, maybe next year. However, one tradition refused to be daunted -- the little-boy-turned-grown-man (the sick little guy from Christmas's past) was sick again this Christmas Eve. One look at the red nose and droopy eyes and it was 1980 again and I realized that it wasn't Christmas Eve that wasn't perfect but rather my vision of the event that was flawed. So, in adjusting my vision I know that all that was important was our safety, our health, being here and being together and that desiring such perfection was, in reality, selfishness. So, I am going into the new year with a new vision -- and that is no preconceived notion at all -- just enjoying what comes, accepting glitches in the system and being happy for the good things we have.

And so, to everyone reading this -- Happy Boxing Day! That might be my next Perfect Holiday.