Changing Holiday Season

The Holiday Season...a season of joy, stress, happiness, sadness, laughs, tears, just to name a few. You run out and spend money to bring joy to your family & friends. Send holiday cards & perhaps a letter. You bake & eat too much causing you to set workout & weight loss new years resolutions that last 1 month max. You follow the tradition that's been set out for generations before you. It happens every year, it is what the holiday season entails.

And we did nothing short than all of it this year.

However, traditions are starting to change in our families. There are gaps that are new this year & seem to be floating as the elephant in the room. There are jokes that are missing, the typical, 'I didn't want anything for Christmas' voice is gone as they open a box that refreshes their wardrobe was not there. It happens across America, we've dealt with it before. But yet, the 1st holiday season without that voice is different.

A week before Christmas, we still weren't sure what we would be doing. For 26 years of my life, we have had Christmas at home, loaded up the vehicle (2 hours behind the departure time), and headed to NW Iowa for a few days at my grandparents. A 3 hour drive, with frequent pit stops because my dad drank an extra large iced tea, David got car sick or somebody had to be separated from another sibling are no longer there. No more will we spend the day after Christmas at the Y with my grandpa introducing us to the whole staff before he goes to walk or run laps. This year, my grandma lives just across town from my parents now and my grandpa is watching over us.

We made our new tradition this year, both grandmas at our house, with all my siblings, significant others, and pets coming from everywhere, we had a huge spread of food, games & laughs. While our grandpas sat together looking over us with smiles on their faces, because gosh knows if they were with us, they would have been napping next to each other on the couch.

The same evolution happened in Greg's family, there was a missing voice. Missing sarcastic comments that would put a smile on your face. It's different, it's a new feeling, but you adjust. Someone else in the family attempts to say what the missing voice would of said & it's met with a chuckle & a tear. Yet, in that time we found time to enjoy the large spread of food, gifts & sharing stories & laughs with family.

Traditions change, but as long  you have your family with you, you can support each other & adjust.

Happy Holidays from our new family tradition!