Christmas Past

Back when I was a little boy, my parents would have what seemed like dozens of guests over to the house on Christmas Eve.  It was a bit of a tradition there for a while, and something that I always enjoyed.

One Christmas Eve when I was around four or five years old, I was very sick.  There was no way I couldn’t be amongst the action of the party, so Mom had me lay down on the sofa in the living room.  Sure enough, I got sicker, and I ended up barfing on the floor right by where everyone was standing, which I remember being totally gross.

It wasn’t long thereafter that I ended up in my parents’ bed, which was by far the most comfortable spot to rest in the whole house.  At the time, it was one of those heated water beds, straight out of the early 1980s.  I remember sleeping soundly for a long while, but, of course, in adult-time it was just a few hours.

Eventually, someone came into the bedroom to wake and bring me into the living room.  All that was left of the big party was just my immediate family: Mom, Dad, and my three sisters.  Everyone had already opened their presents; they didn’t include me because they wanted to let me rest as long as possible.

So, there I was this little four or five year old boy, surrounded by his family, opening all of his gifts by himself on Christmas Eve.  The only present that I remember getting that year was a mechanical car racing game.  It was super cool, and something that my friends and I played for many years to come.

I have many other fond Christmas memories, but this is honestly the earliest one that I can remember, and by far the sweetest one of them all.  For as sick as I was, my family made it very special to me, and, for that and many other reasons, I am thankful that I still have them in my life.

Merry Chtistmas, everyone!  You are all in my thoughts.