Christmas Time When I was a child we always went to Grandma’s. Everyone would come in from where ever they lived and stay and we would have a family dinner. My grandfather always insisted that everyone come. When my grandparents passed on, that tradition ended. As I grew up after that it was just the four of us for Christmas. Mom would always make things for my brother and I and try and buy at least one thing for us that we wanted providing she could afford it. When I left home and moved far away, I always tried to come home for Christmas, but the weather would not always cooperate. We had lots of fun and it would be the four of us and sometimes three. Sometimes my son would come also. This year is going to be something all together different. You see, we lost my Dad in May and it will be the first time in 49 years that he has not been here to celebrate with us. As the time grows closer I think of him often and tears come to my eyes though I try not to cry. It will also be the first year that my Mother will be in a nursing home and Christmas will not be spent at anyone’s home. I have decorated her room and tried to make it nice with lots of things that she and my Dad made over the year. I will cook dinner for the first time in a very long time for the five of us. We gained a new daughter-in -law last October. I ask my Mother what she would like to have special to eat and she said Mince Meat Pie. So by darn she is going to have one. I don’t guess we really every had a tradition in our family, just all got together and spent the day eating, visiting and laughing. I often think of when I was little and as far back as I can remember it was just Mom and Me. She remarried when I was 8. Now that my Dad (that raised me) is gone, I think the same way, it is just Mom and Me. --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.