The Best Memories Soon Come to an End

Year after year for as long as I can remember, the Christmas holidays has always been spent the same. It starts with the day before Christmas, better known as Christmas Eve, and one of the most important days of them all. While this day is not only special to tons of others around the world, but it is special in a different way from my family because it’s my grandmothers birthday. It is tradition that as a whole family we attend church on this evening and after we always go to my grandmother’s house to eat dinner and have cake to celebrate her. After we eat and she opens her small birthday gifts, because she is also receives a gift from all of us on Christmas day. After enjoying her for a little while she takes all the grandchildren to her Christmas tree. There she gives us the chance to finish decorating the tree because she likes us to all add our “secret touch” to the tree making it prefect before Christmas day. After all the regular ornaments are placed on the tree she hands us all hummingbird ornaments and says, “pick your special place on the tree and place your bird there”. Getting the chance to place the hummingbird in a place of our choice is always special to my grandmother and all us as well. When the tree decorating is over my family all packs up and comes to my house. As time nears for all the kids to go to bed we always go in the front yard and sprinkle our home made reindeer food in the grass. Afterwards, we put Santa his cookies on his special glass Santa plate and milk in the Christmas coffee cup we us every year and leave it on the wooden coffee table in the living room. We all say our goodnights giving hugs, and everyone goes to their rooms to sleep. My little cousin Jenna and I are the only two girls in the family; therefore, we get our own room. This allows time for the two of us to talk about what each of us have asked for and how we are so ready to play with each other the next day. As we finish our talks we snuggle up with each other and fall asleep.

Finally it’s Christmas. The day starts by my younger brother Jacob and oldest cousin Black shaking everyone to wake up and yelling “IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!”. After the wakeup call all the kids start running down the stairs like a stampede of horses. This usually wakes all the parents up. We all begin looking at the amazing gifts that Santa has brought us and yelling “Thank you Santa” and asking “How did he know I wanted one of these?”. Breakfast begins being cooked and the smell of bacon and eggs distracts and draws everyone into the kitchen to eat. After the amazing breakfast we all begin admiring the gifts we’ve been given and how grateful we are. As more time passes everyone wants to open the presents under the tree, so we all gather around in the living room and pick the “elf’s” of the year to give out gifts. Gifts are passed out to everyone and opened one by one in order for everyone to see what others received. One specific Christmas I remember, was when my cousin Blake got his truck. The last gift given under the tree was to Blake and he curiously opened a small box to find inside the truck key. He was 16 and didn’t think he would ever receive a vehicle of his own. He instantly started running outside and we all followed behind in search of the vehicle. Some ran out of the front door and others out of the back, meeting each other on the side of the house to see the gorgeous car parked there. We all admired the truck labeling it the “best” gift given of the year. While a car is a common gift to many, this truck is a special one to my cousin, considering this is the biggest gift he’s ever received. My cousin is now 27, and to this day he still has that two-door, black Toyota, and refuses to sell it. Many times gifts such as these are given and while it can be looked at as the “best” gift ever, it makes me realize that the best gifts that can be given are being with your family on this day celebrating together. I will always be thankful and know that that the best gift given are the ones without a dollar price such as, memories and time spent with my family. 

After so many years of spending Christmas the same way, traditions have now changed. One reason being Blake got married and now has a baby, resulted in running out of space in my house for everyone to stay together. Even though we don’t all fall asleep in the same house my family still gets together and we see each other on Christmas day; however, it just isn’t the same. Even though some traditions have changed, memories are still created and this will always be the best gift I will ever receive.