Date: 12/23/2024
Tags: Family, Gratitude
The holiday season is a time when I find myself reflecting on past years’ celebrations, and those individuals who were key to the beautiful memories I have of holidays past. While to many this will seem nostalgic, it is in reminiscing that I gain a great appreciation for those who touched my life, and provided me with beautiful memories of Christmases past.
During my younger years, we had our traditions that we followed year after year; Christmas Eve at my Grandma and Grandpa Marchese’s home, where we would all sit for hours enjoying different Italian dishes and desserts prior to opening our gifts. Following that, we played games with the entire family until we left for Midnight Mass at their local church. When we returned from church, Grandma would take the warm chestnuts out of the oven that we would crack open and feast on. Mom and Dad would bundle us up and carry us to the car for our ride home, and then dad would carry us into the house where mom would prepare us for bed. Christmas morning my sisters and I would wake up early in order to gather around the tree waiting for our parents to join us before opening our gifts. While I eagerly tore open the wrapping paper to see what Santa brought me, I always felt bad, that Santa brought so little if anything for my mom and dad. Only when I became a father did I realize that the true gift that a parent receives, is in watching the happiness on the faces of their children as they opened their presents.
While my Grandparents and my Mom and Dad have been gone for a number of years, the memories of those Christmases remain vivid in my memory, as well as those Christmases enjoyed watching my three sons anxiously opening their gifts from Santa. As Helen Lowerie Marshal states, “For Christmas is tradition time – Traditions that recall the precious memories down the years, the sameness of them all.” For all the young families that are building new holiday traditions and to those of us who have beautiful memories of Christmases past, may this holiday season provide you joy and happiness as well as a brief reprieve from the problems of our world. Happy Holidays from all of us at the City of Darien.