It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Tomorrow is December 1st. In the Walker house that means the Christmas decorations are brought out, the Christmas earrings and shirts are brought to the top of the drawers and the Christmas music is drifting through the air. There is one very simple reason for this. We love Christmas. My grandmother loved Christmas. My mom loved Christmas. I love Christmas. Somehow my family manages to continue loving what there is to love about Christmas and ignoring the rest rather than letting it spoil the fun.

This year is the first time I will have to celebrate Christmas without my mom. Just typing that sentence made me cry. I have to admit that I feel like a bit of a damper will be put on the Christmas joy. If I was another person who was raised by another mom I may be able to accept that and move on with the Christmas season. I however am my mother's daughter, and come hell or high water we WILL celebrate Christmas, and we WILL do it with a joyful heart. My mom lost her mom in 1996. She celebrated 13 Christmas' without her and I never saw her skip a beat. Not having my Nanny there made her cry at times, it made her reminisce, but it never made her skip Christmas, or any part of it.

And so, this year I am going to celebrate Christmas with my head up and my heart open. I may cry more (ok, I'm going to cry a lot), but I'm going to face this head on and there is nothing this stupid world and all it's pain can do to stop me. My mom would expect nothing less.