OH- H-o-i-l-d-a-y-s!

The only thing that really sums up the holidays for me is memories:

The memory of time with family

The memory of Home Alone (think of the mom embracing him at the end)

The smell of pine

The malls

The Christmas Story marathons

Christmas Eve Church and tears of missing the ones we have lost.

Christmas lights

Grandma's

My Uncle's

My dad in a santa hat passing out presents.

Gingerbread cookies. We liked the dough better than the baked cookies.

Mom in a holiday outfit with bright red lipstick

Dad in a sweater. The smell of my dad's leather coat

I think of white candles lit at church

Lots of cookies. The heat blowing on my face

The chills of the winter morning

Red, green, gold, silver, white...and more red.

There are many more things I could add to the list (I am sure you have your own!), but this year those are just memories. There isn't anything to revisit in the flesh. I will have to begin a new tradition. I won't even be in the house I have been in for the past 20 years. I'll let you know what happens.