Favorite Holiday Memory

One of my favorite songs during the Holiday Season is It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year because it brings back memories celebrating the holidays with my family.

My family is big into celebrating the holidays and we love hanging out with one another. One of my favorite holiday memories is with my brother, Jay. Jay, who’s two years older than me, would wake up early every Christmas morning ready to play with all the toys “Santa” would bring him, but my parents wouldn’t allow him until I woke up. They wanted to savor the joy of their two youngest opening their gifts. Jay, being so hyped, would come in my room and make noise by my bed every year until I woke up. We still laugh about that today.

I have many wonderful holiday memories and I wanted to know from my friends what some of their favorites are:

Monae-I can recall my family going to the tree shops to get an affordable tree on Christmas Eve (It was our tradition). During our childhood we were told that “Santa” would not arrive until we went to bed and sometimes, we’d stay up until 2 and 3 in the morning (I know he did not circle back around west Dayton just to deliver to our home lol 😉) but, sounded good at the time. Funny enough we’d wake up to gifts around the tree, baked goods, and what appeared to be “Santa’s Signature” all squiggly and what not (my guardians went all out every holiday). I remember sledding down the hills of nearby churches and parks. We were raised helping needy families, working in soup kitchens, and would often visit the less fortunate before we could open our gifts. The Christmas Season will always mean so much and it’s those memories that make me feel extremely blessed.

Margie-Early in our marriage, we were broke. To save money, my husband and I agreed not to buy each other gifts, but instead, we each made two lists. The first named ten things we wished we could get from the other, and the second listed ten things we wished we could give to our spouse. For many years after, those lists provided things, activities, and most importantly, insights into each other’s true wants and needs (some silly–like red shoes, and others heartfelt–like supporting the other’s dreams). Heading into retirement, it may be time to make those lists again!

Kim-Our family’s tradition of Christmas cookie baking is a favorite for me. For 20+ years my Mom, sister and I (and now our kids) get together before Christmas to bake, decorate and prep hundreds of cookies! We deliver and give to friends and family, literally around the country and world. The best part for me is the feeling of giving and knowing that when our cookies arrive, they put a smile on people’s faces!

I hope you enjoyed reading about some holiday traditions.  What are some of your traditions? Holiday memories are meant to hold close in your heart. When life gets hard, it’s nice to go back and think about memories that you cherished. As you celebrate the upcoming holidays, I challenge you to make new memories to reflect on. Happy Holidays.