A few weeks ago I wrote about being with family members at Thanksgiving and how I felt about the whole experience. At that time I vowed to spend more time traveling to visit family and take fewer solo photo trips and I have just had that resolve strengthened. Here's why....
They say Christmas is for children and family and I've come to believe that may be one of the truest statements I've ever heard. This year, for the first time in a few years, we were together as a family for Christmas. Heather has come home after some time at Eastern New Mexico University in Roswell. Granted, she was home for Christmas break every year but this time we didn't have to drive 1000 miles round trip to get her. Chris has boomeranged and is back home with us. In the past he's usually been home for Christmas but this one is special because (we hope) his health concerns of 2009 are behind him.
Mostly, though, this Christmas was special because Erin and her family came home from Phoenix for a week. We've not all been together at Christmas for at least 5 years and I was surprised at how much I'd missed it. Especially because Granddaughter Katrina was home and the magic is back in Christmas. Katrina is 10 now and still a bit of a child though she's growing up quickly. But I have to say there is nothing to compare to the look in her eyes and on her face when opening a gift that she really really wanted. Christmas truly is for children.
But that's not the only thing that's got me feeling so maudlin. Our family tradition, started long ago by the Bean families that preceded ours, is that we all gather on Christmas Eve to eat chili and open gifts from each other. Then we go to bed and when we wake up in the morning, Santa has visited with more gifts. It's a time honored tradition and one that's going to be around for at least as long as I am.
So there we were on Christmas Eve. Erin was in the kitchen baking a pie and I was working on the chili. I've never cooked WITH someone and the delight of sharing my new kitchen with my eldest child is a feeling I won't soon forget. We bumped into each other a few times, laughed, joked, and told stories from when she was Katrina's age. The eggnog was tasty, the pie was good I'm sure, and the chili was killer as always.
While we were cooking, the laughter and shouting started wafting up from the family room. Chris, Heather, and Katrina were playing Super Mario Brothers on the Wii. The laughter and smack talking was music to my ears sweeter than the greatest symphony. It made me grin like a fool just hearing them. Then it was time to eat and we gathered in the dining room for the first time in a long time. We moved into our house a week before Chris was born and he turned 24 in July. Shortly after moving in we bought a table for the kitchen and ate all our meals there. Two toddlers and a baby...not a good mix for a formal dining room with very light tan carpet. Having remodeled the kitchen this summer, we now have seating in there for only 3 or 4 max so with 7 people in the house it was time for the dining room.
Erin started in first, saying she thinks she remembered eating in the dining room once. Heather couldn't remember and Chris said "this is weird...I've NEVER eaten in this room." We had a great laugh about that and the stories started flowing. We went through some of the things that happened when the kids were small and discovered, to Judy's shock, that all the kids had snooped for Christmas presents over the years, looking in all the logical hiding places, and Erin had even unwrapped some packages to see what was inside then re wrapped them to hide the evidence. To her credit, she always was able to feign surprise but hey, I was a kid once and knew all the tricks. It was no surprise to me.
After finishing some darn good chili we adjourned to the living room and spent the next hour or so opening presents. We open in turns, starting with the youngest and going according to age. I mentioned earlier and I'll restate it, there is NOTHING like the look on Katrina's face when she unwrapped presents she was hoping for. That's why Christmas is definitely for children. Always has been, always will be...
After opening gifts we had some more eggnog and sat around telling a few more stories before Erin, Sean, and Katrina headed off to spend the night at Sean's mother's house. I was sorry to see the night end but happy in the knowledge that this Christmas was one of the best ever...at least since I was a child. And I'm secure in the knowledge that from this point on, no matter how far apart we are, I will do everything in my power to bring the family together every Christmas. Yes, it's for children, but it's also for Families.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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