Ghosts of Christmas past

Today is Christmas Eve.

It's almost Christmas and that has me thinking about Christmases I have had before.

I remember that at one point as a child I had a big plastic sack which Santa put presents in. One year, when we still in Sydney so I was between 5 and 7 years old, I awoke to to see some of Santa's beard stuck between the door and door frame of our flat. I guess that explained how Santa made it it a first floor unit with others above it. I was thrilled. Suddenly there was a tangible thing that told me Santa was real.

We had moved from that flat before I turned eight but I also remember lying in my bed on Christmas Eve and seeing a red light which I was convinced that Rudolph was guiding Santa to my place. These are my two next memories of Christmas. When Christmas was still magical. That's the feeling I hope my children have when they are adults.

As I got older Christmas lost it's shine and the magic faded. Then one year I meet Mr E. My parents would always invite people who had no where else to go (his family lives interstate) over for Christmas lunch. And so he came and had Christmas lunch with us. I guess from there the rest is history.

If we ignore last year (when we had to leave him home because he was unwell and close to going to hospital while we went to Sydney for about 30 hours so we weren't actually together on Christmas day) then this is our 19th Christmas together. Once we had children then Christmas regained a little of the magic it had in the past. In fact I don't remember us having a tree before Boy Child was born but despite that the mainstays of the Christmas pasts for me - watching the Carols by Candlelight, having hot Christmas lunch continued.

We did Santa photos with Boy Child but Girl Child hated Santa so much that we have maybe 3 Santa photos wit her and one of her and Boy Child sitting on Santa's chair without him In the picture. So I don't have a set of Santa photos of my children that I had wanted but that's okay.

This year is my 12th Christmas with out my Dad and my 4th without my mother. Yesterday I received a Christmas card from my mother's cousin and it made me feel odd. I'm one the adult getting cards from the rest of the family. In one way I'm proud it finally be considered an adult and on th other hand I'm sad that my parents both died quite early. My children have no memories of their Poppy and Girl child has very few of their Gran. That makes me sad.

Anyway, tonight I will be sitting down and watching the Carols with my family and tomorrow Mr E. will be cooking a hot dinner on our new Barbecue and rotisserie. While we don't have a trifle or Christmas cake or some of the things I remember from my childhood, it will still be good. I'll have the lunch I enjoy and my beautiful family around me. Plus we aren't going anywhere so we can spend the day in our PJs if we want to.

I hope whether you celebrate Christmas or not, whether you have family to celebrate or not that tomorrow you have a lovely, happy day.