Left to right: Sugar, Christopher, Champ and Nico
December 23, 2014
I’m attempting to extend the Christmas holiday. I’m strictly playing Christmas music in my car. I’m looking at Christmas lights, on the neighborhood houses, longer then I use to, and dare I say, I’m sitting through Christmas commercials in their entirety.
I have never been into Christmas in such a way since my youth. As I got older and more into my police career I had to work holidays and weekends. The days I worked Christmas numbed me from all the nostalgia I once had as a child.
For a kid growing up in the tradition of Christmas I simply didn’t want Christmas day to end. What kid ever does? The food, the joy of writing a Christmas list from Service Merchandise catalog, the lights and Christmas trees made the time more memorable. The time felt magical more so than religious.
Being a product of divorced parents Christmas was about the only time having two households paid off. My situations of having two families even made my friends jealous when It came to Christmas time. Although I was more jealous they had both their parents I felt great knowing my pre-teen friends envied me!
Christmas seemed to last forever when I was a child. We would have Christmas morning at our dad’s house. Where my sister and I lived. Then our mother would pick us up and we would celebrate Christmas at the house. After we opened our gifts, there, we’d head down to Miami and spend Christmas afternoon with our grandparents and open, more gifts! But I'm older now. I have kids. My brothers and sister have kids.
Nico and Christopher are getting big. Reaching the ages of 5 and 6 in the blink of an eye. At this current age they're finally understand what those lights and music represent. 2014 is officially the, “Dad, I want this and dad I want that” season. And it’s not because they’re spoiled. The boys aren’t only into Christmas gifts. They are very considerate with thank you's and no thank you's. And I do my best to teach them that this time of year is a joyus occasion for all of us to share. We should reconize peoples hard work and dedication and pray for good will towards their fellow man (and women).
Now, as my kids grow bigger each year, I just want Santa Claus to stay a little longer so I may enjoy this time of year again and rekindle the excitment of Chrismas morning. And maybe slow down my and their aging. I know Christmases haven't been the same since their mom died and it never will. But we have to make new traditions as well as keeping her memory alive in the spirit of Christmas.
Now, as my kids grow bigger each year, I just want Santa Claus to stay a little longer so I may enjoy this time of year again and rekindle the excitment of Chrismas morning. And maybe slow down my and their aging. I know Christmases haven't been the same since their mom died and it never will. But we have to make new traditions as well as keeping her memory alive in the spirit of Christmas.
So let this Christmas be prolonged. Let’s listen to the music a little longer and savor the food, wine and spirits. Let’s enjoy each other’s company while we pray for peace in the world. Let Christmas not just be the religious day it represents, but a day, that we can all share, inclusively, the joy of life together while we all prepare for another year.
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