Like most families, growing up mine had its own Christmas traditions. Every Christmas Eve me my sisters, parents and myself would go to a candlelight service at the Cloverdale United Church then come home and scarf down appetizers and watch It’s a Wonderful Life. That’s just the way it was. Then, come Christmas Day at least 20 cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents would come over for drinks and a delicious Turkey dinner. I have great memories of those years which is why my Mom has found it so hard that now that two of my sisters are married and I”m in a serious relatonship, those traditions now have to be altered.
This year I am going to Lumby to celebrate Christmas with my boyfriend Deryck’s family. We together agreed that, if all goes well in our relationship, every year we will alternate where we spend Christmas, so next year will be the Lower Mainland. When I told my Mom of these plans, I swear I could see tears instantly well up in her eyes, one because for the first time ever her “baby” wouldn’t be there Christmas morning and two, it was a reminder all of her chicks have grown up and now have lives of their own.
Keeping traditions going gets harder as the years tick by. All you can do is appreciate the rare moments everyone IS together (and stock up on kleenex for Mom!)
- Vanessa xoxo
- @VanessaLYbarra
- vanessa@pulsefm.ca