I miss Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve at my Grandma's house

[47of74]

It just struck me this morning how much I miss having Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at my maternal Grandma's house.

We haven't had Thanksgiving at her place in probably about 25 years. Years before Grandma passed in July 2003 we decided it would be easier to have it my parent's home or at one aunt and uncle's place. It was really nice to go up to her place and have Thanksgiving even though it was started to get a bit crowded by the time we stopped doing it. We were able to walk around the neighborhood after dinner. She lived in an older part of town and it always seemed so peaceful on Thanksgiving afternoon.

On Christmas Eve we would go up to her house for a party starting about 8pm or so, and stay up there until about 11pm to 11:30pm. We did that right up to the first Christmas after she died. Even though it was a bit crowded with 25 adults in a small house the evening was just magic up there. We still get together on Christmas Eve but the magic isn't quite there now.

[Ron Obvious]

1. Permanence...

I hear you. I think what we as adults grieve about most, is that comfortable security of childhood. That feeling that things were always going to be the same. Sure, we grumbled at the time about details and its happiness was not properly appreciated except in retrospect.

Then you grow up and realise how fleeting and ethereal it all is and why it's important to have those traditions in the first place.

[proud patriot]

2. so many wonderful memories of that very thing

both maternal and paternal grandparents .. I miss them so much.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Same here. It was an old Revolutionary War era Cape that my family had built. A very

special place, even if it was cold as heck in winter.

It was a lovely thing to have dinners there with my family, and maybe ghosts of previous family members. Sadly, the house is no longer ours, and its loss has been very keen for me.