j. and i spent a warm and cozy evening last night celebrating (an early) Chrismaka (Hannumas and Chrisanaka are two other versions we use indicating the smashing of Christmas and Hannukah together) with his family.
As we make our final preparations to head out to Toronto on Friday to spend Chritmas with my family, we are left with a twinge of sadness (as j. described it in the car last night) that we won’t be with his family on Christmas Day. I know we’ll spend many future Christmases et al. with them. I am quickly learning that trying to meet the needs of our immediate family members in two countries is no walk in the park. I hope over time all our family members are able to understand, if and when we aren’t able to spend a major holiday with them, that it’s not because we don’t want to, it’s that we have to make some tough choices with how we spend our time. And we will also always be disappointed there is someone we are unable to be with on Christmas.
I haven’t seen most of my family and friends in Toronto in many months now, so despite the twinge, I am immensely looking forward to immersing myself in my family’s Christmas traditions and reuniting with good friends.
I must concede I am not in a writing mood in the least. As I put this post together, my mind is on crossing off items on my packing to-do list, getting the car filled up with our gifts, homemade cookies and piles of winter clothes, and then being a full participant in a holiday that I am realizing more than ever is an integral part of my identity, even if I am not a practicing Catholic. And it’s made all the sweeter and lovely because j. wants and will be a part of it all. For me, there will be no greater gift this Christmas.
So instead of continuing to pour out all this Christmas sap, I’ll let my dad do the talking through an email he sent me a couple days ago. Dad, I’ve taken the liberty to edit your punctuation and mispelled words (but not your grammar, I want it to sound like you), because I want to make you look good on the Internet in your online publishing debut.
Hi Renee,
Just to let you know that we got your emails covering the shopping/items that you need for the Christmas meal and also your email covering your itinerary. We printed a copy as well as we have it saved on the desk top here at home.
I have been sort of busy at work, B. and K. with school and mom the usual, shopping and baking. (She is right now in the kitchen baking another batch of Christmas cookies…well you can have a taste when you get here Friday night…actually K., who I took back to school last night, just before leaving, tried some new cookies that mom had made yesterday, and since she kept going back for more, they must have been good.)
The Christmas lights outside are on, the ground is covered with snow, the Christmas tree is up (But no ornaments yet), the 3 Christmas stockings on top of the fireplace mantle are hanging, the poinsettias are brightening the house, there are lots of gifts already to go under the tree, the “busta†from nonni is already here…we are just waiting for you and K. to come home…
Love,
DAD
