Is christmas really only a few days away?
This is really strange for me this year. Normally, about this time each December, I'm high in the air jetting towards Oregon or already bounding through the back door of the house hollering for anyone that was in earshot upon arrival.
Not so this year. We opted to do our family thing next summer instead of a holiday gathering. The main reason being there's no longer a house to bound into. Well, that is to say, there's a house - but it's no longer ours. My sis and I could have lodged across the street, but we both felt that would be just a little too hard on the emotions to have the house right there and not be celebrating inside with the family per usual.
So, instead, we'll be (gulp, slow tear down the cheek, cue the violins) spending the holidays at our respective homes in Hawaii (she) and Oklahoma (me)... somehow I think she has the better end of the deal. My brother will be able to lodge with his daughter who lives near my Dad who is in a nice little assisted-living apartment in Seaside. So they will have a christmas sans the crazy spinster Ants (sic - it's a family thing).
I relented and purchased Prelighted Tree No. 13 at Target last weekend. I dug out my box of decorations, got some more lights on it and some bulbs. The cats haven't knocked it over, yet, but there's still time. It's nice, but ...
Tranisition is hard. However, I know I'll make it through ok - I've had some wonderful times with family and friends this year and will be able to feast on those memories over the next few days as well as some of my own home cooking... which may be harder to survive than the isolation, given my less than stellar culinary skills.
Reading through this, it reads as though it has a "please pity me" tone - please don't. Instead - do me a favor. Look a little longer than usual into the eyes of your loved ones, hug them a little closer, tell them what they mean to you and have a very, very Merry Christmas and a insanely Happy New Year!!!
