I used to love Christmas as a child. The waiting for Santa to come and the Christmas Eve dinner we would always have at my aunts house was like magic to me. The next morning we would wake up early to a tree with presents scattered underneath.
Lucky for me, I had a mom and stepdad who went all out at Christmas. We never had to worry about not getting anything because even during tough times, there were presents but most of all there was love and happiness. Happiness on my mom’s face seeing her kids excited and happy an a sense of satisfcation on my stepdad’s face as he saw his family get taken care of. A mixed family of his stepchildren and later his son. He provided for us even when he didn’t have to.
To pick a favorite Christmas memory is like trying to pick a favorite child. There are so many memories that now I look back and they are bittersweet, both happy and sad.
So, my favorite Christmas was all of them. Because my loved ones were happy. They were healthy. We were together and things were simpler.
There were not fancy phones or video game systems under the tree. Just fun toys, books or cool clothes for the teenagers. Everyone around the table was not sad and worried. In tody’s world it is hard not to look around and see anyone who isn’t worried over something.
We kids played together, the adults laughed and joked and we were just hapy being together. I wish I could go back to that.
I wish it for my own kids. I wish it for my family. I wish it for myself. So if Santa still listens, then that is what I want for Christmas. I want another memory like this year. To see my loved ones smile. To hear them laugh together as we realize how those Christmasas from the past went by so very quickly and this one too will slip through our fingers before we even know it.
I hope my favorite Christmas is this one.