Remembering Christmas Eve

Listening to holiday tunes, wrapping last-minute gifts, and thinking of loved ones, both near and far...these are the memories of my past Christmas Eves.

Reminiscing about childhood traditions and those that I started with my own children makes me smile. One of my favorite traditions was to assign a reindeer name to each member of the household and keeping it a secret until Christmas morning. There would be a letter in each stocking from Santa that talked about the wonderful traits of the recipient and would disclose the reindeer name chosen for them. This was a way to keep the snooping down.

In years past, one son was pretty keen at finding the hidden gifts and sneaking a peek at his gifts by unwrapping them carefully. This took the fun out of the Christmas surprises. Once I started labeling the gifts with reindeer names, no one knew which gifts belonged to whom. 

Another trick I tried was to use the same color wrapping paper for each person. In this way, I knew whose gifts belonged to whom by the wrapping.

Other traditions that make me smile are remembering the new pjs I had made for each person. It was a nice way to prepare for picture taking sessions in the morning. I also made sure we had coffee or juice before we went to see if Santa had arrived; I really needed that first cup of coffee after staying up late to arrange the gifts under the tree and write the letters. I was also the one that ate the cookies and wine left out for Santa...I told the kids that Santa was getting enough milk from all the other homes.

All of these memories bring me to this Christmas Eve. I'm still listening to holiday music, wrapping last-minute gifts, and think of those near and far. I recognize how blessed my life is and value the people, experiences, and memories that make up the whole of my life.

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday!

Lisa