I had a wonderful Christmas once again. It was indeed a Merry Little Christmas. I have to say it felt different this year. You see my grandson was home for the holiday enjoying the " winter break " as his university calls it. That alone changed the dynamic a bit. It's difficult to explain unless you have experienced it yourself, at least, that's my feeling. He had picked out and purchased gifts by himself, using solely his own funds. A " grownup " thing to do. Again, it was different. He wrapped those gifts as well! That's unusual, or rather new as well, because in the past he got Mom to do that. Truly a young man now, that realization arrives as a bittersweet thing. Grandparents will understand. As a grandparent you do have to wonder if you will get to see the transformation from child to adult in someone you love again. Great grandkids? I certainly hope so.
Mark does have a younger sister, Morgan. Morgan is driving her own car, has a boyfriend and a job. (sigh ) She isn't a little girl anymore. In the past I would have seen my ballerina dancing in the nutcracker but she has grown past that. Oh she still takes dance but I hear little about that. I expect she will soon remove herself from all of that and move forward. For her, dance will be a childhood memory, like someone being in the high school band or drama club. Well you can't expect every child to go on to Radio City Music Hall! She has completed one semester of a college level course concurrently with her high school studies. she now has an eye toward the medical field, perhaps as a physical therapist or radiology. Christmas morning she was here showing me her I-phone 11 or some such thing and talking a mile a minute, as young girls are prone to do. She too had purchased gifts using her own funds, a sign of maturity.
As for myself it felt like there were no children for Christmas this year. I wasn't expecting that and it hit me suddenly. It is a mixture of sorrow and pride. It is the same feeling I had when my boys were grown and out on their own for the first time. Young adults. And now, now it has happened once again. But I need to remind myself that it is a good thing, a natural thing, the way things ought to be. All is well in the world and I am grateful. The earth is still turning and another generation is coming into their own. Seems strange, watching the second generation since my own birth join the adult world. Relatively speaking it won't be that long before I welcome a third, maybe five or ten years from now. No time at all when you are already 66. Even Christmas comes and goes quickly now. I know this one surely did.
Now I did receive a surprise gift, one I had no idea about. I was given a cat. Yes, a real live cat! Now I like cats, always have, and have had a few. I haven't had one in quite some time however. Now my wife isn't crazy about animals of any kind, well except me, but Cats are the least offensive to her. So she conspired with my son and his wife on this gift. I'm looking forward to years of company. It will take a while for us to get to know each other. So far I haven't heard him make a sound but he seems friendly enough. I haven't decided upon a name just yet, I'll have to give that time. I'd say he was a Tabby.
I've started putting away Christmas already. I did need to make room for my cat to look out the window. The weather is supposed to warm in the next few days and I'll use that break to take down the outside lights and decorations. New Year is no big deal around my house. No big parties, no big celebration. I guess Valentines day is next up. Of course that holiday is just about getting a card and candy, maybe a flower. Well it's only 363 till Christmas so I better get moving. Time waits for no man. Christmas 2019 is behind us. I do have to make a return and figure I might as well get it done. The suit jacket we got for our grandson is just a bit too large. He is larger than I am, a strapping young man as the saying goes. He said, no hurry Grandpa, My response was, Mark, when you get old you will worry about such things, I'll be exchanging that jacket tomorrow! Yes time speeds up as you age, one day they are children and the next off to college. I had better exchange that jacket before he graduates. Each Christmas is an exchange, a passing of time. Traditions and memories shared, made, and exchanged.
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