Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Every day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined topic chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the twenty-fourth day of the month is "Family."
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A day to remember those without family, those far away from family, those who have chosen to stay away from their family, those for whom holidays are hard.
A day to remember the people without homes, without safe places to spend the night waiting for Santa's sleigh, a day to remember the children in foster care who have never known a Christmas day filled with screaming in excitement and ripping open wrapping paper, a day to remember the children newly aged out of the foster system with no support network and nowhere to go.
A day to remember the kids who will go to bed hungry, who will go to bed sick without a parent to watch over them because their parents know they won't be able to pay rent if they don't go to work, a day to remember the children whose lives are uncertain and scary.
A day to enjoy with our families, to remember past years and hear that same old story about Uncle Bill trying to use the snowblower on the roof and ending up in the ER on Christmas Eve, a day to enjoy the ruckus of all eleven nieces and nephews screaming downstairs while playing indoor tag despite every admonition to stop running in the house.
A day to celebrate, to rejoice, to laugh. A day to promise not to murder that uncle who always wants to talk politics, a day to promise to be nice to that neighbor who always glares at your dog, a day to reflect on all the good things in your life.
Happy Christmas Eve, all. I hope it's a day to remember.
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To see what Bestest Friend has to say about family, go visit her at Too Legit to Quit.
Merry Christmas Eve!!! I hope you have a lovely (slightly warmer?!) day...
ReplyDeleteHa ha! It was SO cold. Ridiculous The roads were clear, though, so travels were safe, and it was lovely to see everyone.
DeleteEleven?!
ReplyDeleteEleven! They're getting older now - the youngest is six and the oldest is fifteen - so it's loud, but not AS loud as when they were all super little.
Delete❤️❤️❤️ Merry Christmas Eve! ❤️❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteI'm a day late, but I hope you had a nice Christmas Eve, and I hope everyone made it through the day without murdering their uncles. We always spend the day with one other family that we've known since our kids were in preschool together- the kids decorate cookies and drink hot chocolate, and this year my son prepared a spaghetti dinner for everyone! It's a little bittersweet because it makes me miss those toddler days (when the decorated cookies were carefully put aside for Santa) but it's incredible to see all the kids grow up together.
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolutely lovely tradition to have with your friends. Found family is just as important as biological family! It is sort of bittersweet to see the kids get older, but it's also awesome to think about how far they've come.
DeleteI'm a couple of days late but I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. But ugh about the uncle and political talk! We celebrate with my husband's extended family on Christmas Eve and it is so much fun. Phil and I were talking about it on the drive into work today. Celebrations with my family are more complicated for a variety of reasons, so we really appreciate that Christmas Eve is nothing but fun and joy. Our kids get so much love and attention, there is no drama, no snide comments, no political talk. It's just all around wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAfter a few tough holidays early on, there is no politics talk at out family gathering anymore. The closest we get is when some of the law enforcement types start talking about their jobs and my husband and I squirm uncomfortably in our chairs. But! This year was lovely and fun and drama free.
DeleteSo thoughtful, Engie. Yes, the holiday can be most wonderful and also the hardest days of the year for people. Always remember to be kind this time of year.
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