True Destiny, If Life is a Journey, Why go it alone?

Well Christmas week is finally upon us, as children across the world begin to ping off the walls in anticipation of Santa's return on Saturday. I can remember the excitement I felt these last few days before Christmas. My family would always attend Midnight Mass so that meant staying up late and getting ready to go around 11 o'clock to be sure we got a seat and did not have to stand at the back of the church. As tired as I was I still had trouble sleeping Christmas Eve. I guess most kids are like that, and I was no exception. Christmas morning we would all get up, have breakfast, clean up the breakfast dishes, wait for my father to get cleaned up and then and only then would the gift opening begin. I took this activity into my adult life, which nearly caused my daughter to go crazy. The rule in our home was no one was up before six a.m. I would get up, take a shower, and dress for the day, as my wife would prepare cinnamon rolls and a coffee danish, put the coffee on. Then and only then would the gift opening begin. I know it was torture for my daughter, but that was even a little bit of a gift for me, in my warped sense of humor. I loved Christmas morning, and loved it even more when it was in my own home. I never was one who liked to be away from our house on Christmas morning. There were a few years when we traveled but as my daughter got a little older I put my foot down and by decree we stayed home on Christmas. I know many families who do their gift exchange on Christmas Eve, but to me, that left nothing for Christmas day and I was always partial to doing things Christmas Day. After the gifts were all opened and rearranged neatly beneath the tree for display for all others to see, we would begin the process of getting things prepared for Christmas dinner. Normally we would have a house full of guest over for dinner, which was always a pleasure. Dinner was always around one or two o'clock, because that gave us enough time to get the kitchen cleaned up, left overs put away, and then it was off to the movies. We have always enjoyed taking in a movie on Christmas Day. I think one of the reason we did this is that it gave us time to digest our Christmas Dinner, and once the movie was over we would come back to the house and have hot turkey sandwiches and watch whatever Christmas movie was on the television at the time.

I think most every family has their own traditions. Many have been passed down from generation to generation, while others are created new as the family unit becomes new. Christmas traditions are what we live for, what puts a smile on our faces during this season, and what we will tell our grandchildren about when we are old. Many people make a tradition out of making up new traditions. Hey what ever floats your boat. This is your holiday and you can do with it whatever you wish. There are no right or wrong traditions when it comes to making up new ones or continuing with old ones.

Many people have gotten jaded by the Christmas Season, since it now begins even before we have put away the Thanksgiving leftovers. I am guilty as charged as I have a tradition of putting up my Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving night and keeping them up until New Years. Although I have had a request to keep them up until the first week of January to help celebrate a January birthday for a friend and I have agreed to do that. I can see why people get irritated, with Christmas music twenty four seven on countless radio stations. I know of one station that has been playing continuous Christmas music since the first of November, that station by the way is now my favorite. I have music piped through my home that runs non-stop from Thanksgiving until Christmas day. Maybe it is my way of keeping non-believers out of my home, lol. Either way it is my tradition and I intend on keeping it until I die or lose my hearing, neither of which I hope occurs any time soon.

As we enter this most festive week, think on those things that mean the most to you and tell those that mean the most to you that you love them and cherish every moment you have with them. This is the season where we can without embarrassment proclaim from the roof tops that love abides here and we want to share that love with others. I am one who believes we should be doing that every day, but especially during this most blessed season. We celebrate the birth of Christ who came to show the world love, peace, happiness, and joy. Maybe it's time we display this to others around us and maybe just maybe you may change a life or two. My Christmas prayer is that all people would come to an understanding of the true meaning of Christmas. That Peace on Earth, Good Will toward all, are not just words, but rather true feelings that reside in each of us, thus put out for others to enjoy and embrace. I pray that everyone has a wonderful holiday and that your traditions bring you closer to those you love and cherished memories are created that will take you through until this time next year. Think about it.........