The Holidays

Most of the time I do not get into holidays.  I find that most of them are just so we can spend our money.  I mean if I do not buy my wife a bunch of roses on one day of a whole year, does that mean I don't love her.  I could pay a truck payment with what some of these roses cost nowadays.  I bet those rose growers make enough money in February to float them through the rest of the year.  Maybe they can get a reality show similar to Deadliest Catch.  Yeah I can see the new rookie out there in a thunderstorm fighting off the thorns to pick the perfect rose.  That is TV worthy!  I do however love Christmas.  It is that time of year when people can forget about themselves and think of others.  There are times that certain people in my life are just hard to be around.  Just the thought of them makes you want to strangle them and their first born.  But around Christmas I try to appreciate people for who they are.  I also think about the people that are no longer with us.  After the loss of someone, we begin to go on with our lives.  And it sounds bad to say, but with time we do not think about them so often.  The holidays force us to face the fact that our loved ones are no longer with us.  And with the loss of them we lose certain traditions.  There comes a time when Momma won't be there to fill your stocking any more and there will be no more going to Grandma's on Christmas day.  When you start to lose the head of the family, the family starts breaking off into their own families and the traditions start all over again.  There are certain traditions that I dearly miss and I will always cherish them.  I also have noticed that we are creating our own traditions.  We drink hot chocolate on Christmas Eve with our children. We also go look at Christmas lights as soon as it gets dark!.  Then on Christmas day, I make breakfast and we head to Papaw Charlie's House.  I know one day that we will be the grandparents and my children will bring their children to my house.  I will have become a tradition with them.  I am OK with that and I hope that we are given the chance to be the best tradition ever!   To all my friends and family, I love you guys.  I hope that the holidays bring more happiness than sadness and that we all find a reason to celebrate the holidays.  Lets also not forget who is turning 2010 this year.  My daughter Lexi got it on the first guess.