Home for the Holidays, Number 7 in a Short Story Series: Perfect Traditions

The thing is, I’ve been thinking it over, Cal. You're right. I wasn't going to, but I should go ahead and be with the family. It's more than that your folks are going to be there.

It's that going home for the holidays is a gift not everyone gets to enjoy. You can't this year, and we never know when it will be the last time everyone will be together.

Going home for Christmas is the stuff of family traditions that you and I want to continue, and we should take advantage of when we have the opportunity.

I think I really do want to go on out to the farm after all, even though you’re still so far away. I think that's where I need to be since you're over there for so long this time.

That is going to be my best plan. I do need to be there with my parents. Getting ready for everyone who is able to come will be a special time with Mom and Dad!

Listening to them bustling around from up in my pepto-pink room, I’ll know exactly when Dad will open the back door to feed the cat--just when Mom will open the oven door to put in her biscuits. Their strong coffee will rouse me and while we eat breakfast that first morning it’ll be fun to finish plans for the big day. Only Mom cooks the turkey for that event. I won’t even offer!

Just my two sisters and their families will come the week before Christmas. Our brothers can’t come until Christmas Day because they travel so far, but they will all get to stay almost two weeks. Their families are going to be over in the old cabin sleeping snuggly in front of a wood fire every night, but they’ll help out every day.

Anyway, Mom’s delight is to have her big get-together on New Year’s Day. She loves it that the whole clan has that to look forward to after Christmas has come and gone. All the other relatives bring their own specialties. Family favorites, each one with a detailed biography, will come from all over the place.

Yeah, Mom’s forte is being the hostess with everything going smoothly. She’ll be sad that you’re not with us. I’ll get there in time to help her have everything shining clean and make their decorations flow like fountains. She likes that I’m an architect.

Dad and I will be Mom’s busy bees starting Thanksgiving weekend. She’ll keep the coffee pot full and we’ll follow her designing plans. I know, I’ll always be his little girl, but soon I’ll be yours too! Just think--early spring!

I’m so glad your parents are coming. Having had just you, I hope they won’t be overwhelmed with everyone in my family. We’ll all work hard to make sure they are comfortable, I promise, and they’ll have everything they need. They are such dears!

Well, I’m sure Mom is using this holiday season’s decorating to practice for the wedding. Don’t tease--you’re going to miss it all! She’s planning some beautiful tables, even the children’s will be very fashionable.

There will be the annual introductions of new family members--from newly weds to newborns. At least you’ll be the star of it all next year! Dad is already working on his annual New Year's challenge from Scripture for the family. I think he said he’s using MacArthur’s new book Slave to help him with his theme. I might try to read it beforehand.

Then comes games for all the kids, with awards at the end of the day. Mom always focuses the awards on character traits first. Skill takes second place in her book. She has Dad making a photograph studio to be set up by the barn so families can have as many pictures as they want with each other. If it doesn’t snow Dad won’t sit still until he gets a snow machine--it’ll make for noisy videoing outdoors!

Mom won’t cook anything except the turkeys that weekend, but she’ll fill all the nooks and crannies of the farm with perfect traditions. Oh, Cal--I'm just chattering on--but I can’t wait until you are a permanent tradition in our family, just like I will be in yours!

• Fostering Care -- Home for the Holidays, Number 8

• Christmas Fudge -- Home for the Holidays, Number 6

• The Favor -- Home for the Holidays, Number 5

• A Holiday Respite -- Home for the Holidays, Number 4

• The Gift of a Lifetime -- Home for the Holidays, Number 3

• Grandpa's House -- Home for the Holidays, Number 2

• A Change of Plans -- Home for the Holidays, Number 1

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