This year is a new year for our family for celebrating Christmas. As parents of five children, we
are now the oldest of the clan. We no longer have an elder member to look up to or look out for.
Yes, I am blessed with an Uncle and Great Aunt yet in Wyoming but husband has no one in the
earlier generation still with him.
I spent last Christmas holiday with my Mom. She passed 10 Jan of this year.
Everything I start to do, brings back sharp memories of the traditions she attempted to pass on to
her children.
Mom was lucid until the end. Even if some did not think she was. She just had to think a few minutes to
get her thoughts in order to respond to questions. If one did not have patience with waiting for a
reply some would make up an answer instead of wait. I am grateful I waited for her response.
Many years past, I saw my Grandmother in much the same situation, but I patiently waited until she
could finish her comments to me. My Elder had walked away and did not get to hear what she said.Those words were never spoken again so have patience. Mom attempted to teach us all
patience with each other and ourselves. Patience was something she thought was very important this
time of year and always.
We as children got to put the tree up the day before Christmas and we did not take it down until
early January.
I have broken from that theme and went up mid December and down on first weekend of January.
I have further changed to up the day after Thanksgiving and down again around 6 January.
Earlier years we left it up for grandson's birthday and then it came down.
Needless to say we are now into artificial trees. For us it was a good thing due to allergies, but I miss
the smell of an evergreen tree.
It is a beautiful season and I think it should be truly recognized as such. It is a season of spreading
good cheer and caring through out the world. We can truly use more of that.
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I love this post. My husband lost one of his best friends last week, and he was with him to the end -- listening patiently as you discussed so well in your post. I am a Jones, too. In fact my blog is called Jones Family Matters. Thanks for posting.
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