Christmas Cousin Lunch

Christmas always brings to mind loved ones who have died or who I don't see anymore.  I am especially aware of them as I decorate because many of my Christmas decorations have come from others, especially my grandmothers.  I have many handmade felt ornaments that Grandma Barnes made, as well as vintage blown glass ornaments from her, too.  I am have many glass, some crocheted, and crystal ornaments from Grandma Hare.  And then there are Santas from my own Santa dad.  I also have ornaments I really like that friends gave me.  As I take these decorations out of their boxes to put on the tree or place out where I will enjoy them, I remember with much love and a bit of longing how good these people are and how much I miss them as a regular part of my life.

For many years before her memory got so bad, I would go with my parents, siblings, and cousins to decorate Grandma Hare's tree.  We would eat good food, make the tree beautiful, and talk and laugh together.  It was really wonderful.  I looked forward to that evening of family and festive merrymaking and with Mikayla, we've decided we need to continue that tradition, just with Grandma Sue's tree, now that Grandma Hare is gone.

All this remembering made me recall that I haven't seen some of my cousins since July 4th, and that anymore, that's the only time I see them.  So I organized a lunch with my girl cousins, aunts, and sisters, so that we could be together and catch up and enjoy delicious food.  We came together today for soup and salad, yummy bread, and gingerbread with caramel sauce for dessert.  I had hoped for a few more of us, but was so happy that as many as of us as were here could be together.  I love family and am grateful for our good relationships and interactions.  We laughed together and shared funny stories and just enjoyed kid-free adult women time, all in the festive atmosphere of Christmas.

Katherine, Georgianne, Tysen, Sue, Amber, Mikayla, Laurel, Katelyn, Sarah, Alina, Darlene