But it is 2020...
Christmas is a special time of the year for me. It brings back memories of my childhood. My mother would start getting excited about the holiday the first part of December. Her joy was infectious. My father would take all of us out on the land we owned, and we would pick out a tree for him to cut down. We tied the tree to the top of our station wagon, Bluebell (yes, we named our cars), and we would head home. Mom would have hot chocolate waiting for us when we got home, and the decorations had been pulled out of the attic.
We played holiday music.
We decorated the tree.
We laughed.
Dad played the guitar and we would all sing.
We made memories.
On Christmas morning we would wake to find that Santa had left a trail of candy from our beds to the stockings in the living room. The decorating and the giving of presents remind me of the joy and memories of my childhood. I look forward to this holiday every year.
But it is 2020 and nothing happens like we expect it to this year.
Our plans were to go to my brother’s house Christmas Eve and have my children at our house for Christmas Day.
But it is 2020.
My son and his fiancé were going to spend three nights with us starting Christmas Eve. They were not able to make it to Christmas. She had an exposure to the Covid-19 virus a few days before Christmas. We could not to be with them. It hurt my heart. This was going to be the first holiday we were all together.
But it is 2020.
I planned on cooking a turkey and ham to take to my brother’s house, along with my Granny’s fudge recipe that I only make once a year. On Christmas day, I would make homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We would have a big Mexican dinner for our Christmas day meal. I love making special meals for my family. Cooking comes from my heart. Everything from Granny’s fudge, to sweet potatoes with pralines, homemade breads, and so many other things that I only make at Christmas. I was going to cook and prepare these special treats for my whole family. To keep the memories and traditions alive.
But it is 2020.
It started snowing right before my husband and I left for my brother’s house. I was thrilled to have a white Christmas. We loaded up the car and pulled out of the driveway.
It continued to snow.
Huge snowflakes.
New York size snowflakes.
It began snowing harder after we arrived. My brother’s driveway is steep. Actually, steep doesn’t adequately describe his driveway. On Christmas Eve 2020, it turned from steep into a perilous slope. We were able to exchange gifts and toast to a nice holiday. We didn’t expect the snow to accumulate so quickly. The roads were icy and quickly covered with snow. We had hoped to stay for dinner.
But it is 2020.
My daughter, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were able to be here on Christmas and it was a day of happiness. We shared laughter and joy. We played games. We sat and watched more snow fall. I talked to my son on the phone. He was sad that he couldn’t be with us all and we missed him. Christmas is my favorite holiday even in 2020. The traditions make it come to life for me. Being with family is important to me. I look forward to it all year long.
But it is 2020 and nothing seems to go the way we plan in 2020.
Christmas is a special time for me. It is joy, love and family memories. We could not all be together this year. That does not lessen the love we all have for each other. That connection of family and love, I feel every day of the year.
