Hello, dear reader!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I love this time of year, not only because of my Christian faith, but because of the time I spend with my family.
I’ve been trained from an early age to say thank you. I’ve been charged with writing thank you’s for graduations, for birthday gifts, for Christmas gifts, and to be thankful for whatever people happen to give to me. My sister is the same way. We’ve been raised this way, and I appreciate our parents teaching us that politeness and manners matter. In a digital age, it should be even easier to send a text or call someone, letting them know how thankful you are for your new presents.
I love my grandparents dearly, for they are some of the sweetest people I know. They love to spend time with my parents, my sister Abbie, and me. My Gramma Joan loves to give gifts, and my Grandpa Paul loves to talk about his faith and the books he’s reading. He can read complex High German, and owns a German version of the Bible, as well as one in English. My dad is very lucky to have them, because it’s obvious that they love him, as well as his sister and brother, a great deal.
I’m very fortunate to still have my grandparents around. My Grandma Lucy and Grandpa Curt on my mom’s side have long since passed away, both in the early 2000s. I miss them a lot, mostly because they were wonderful, loving people. My Grandma Lucy had had a stroke, and could no longer talk or walk. Despite these limitations, she spoke with her eyes. She told Abbie and me that she loved us, that she was glad we were in her life. She would hold our hands, each of us in turn, and we would give her hugs and kisses.
My grandparents on my dad’s side give wonderful gifts. One of these gifts, apart from the presents that parents, my sister and I received was the gift of fun. We played Fishbowl, a new game that Abbie learned at college. (It’s a memory game that incorporates the game Charades, Taboo, and Password.) The second thing that we shared were opening presents in a circle. We went around the room, picking out one present at a time, which makes it more exciting opening our gifts. (My family and I tend to give a lot of gifts on the holidays, and I realize that this is not the norm. We’re not wealthy by any means, we just enjoy giving presents.)
I’m grateful to my parents and my grandparents for such wonderful memories. I’m grateful that we get to spend money on each other, that we can express how much we care about each other through gift giving. I love being able to buy special presents for the ones I love–it’s normally one or two gifts, because I’m on a budget–but in the end, it’s really fun.
Thank you, Gramma and Grandpa, for your wonderful gifts, your delicious food, and all the fun games that we played. Thank you, mom and dad, for keeping our traditions alive, and thank you Abbie, for the gifts from Spain! I’ve had a wonderful Christmas, and I’m thankful for all of you in my life.
Love,
Meghan B.
The Nerdy Nook 