It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. At least that’s what I see when I walk into any given store now.
Although I am not the most Christmas-spirited person, I enjoy the meaning behind the holiday season.
And although most of the stores are already decked out in the Christmas items, I prefer to take the holidays one step at a time.
Thanksgiving, after all, is only a few days away, and we don’t want the turkey to feel left out do we?
Thanksgiving has always been a big tradition in my family. Every year we’d travel to Granny and Papa’s house in good ‘ol Stigler, Okla., to celebrate with all our family.
My dad would come in from Grandma’s, where he’d been hunting all week, and bring the four-wheeler with him. We’d ride out in the pasture down to the creek behind Papa’s house.
My cousin and I would stay down there for hours, playing games and just hanging out.
Granny would be in the kitchen all day and night cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal. She knew exactly which pie was each grandchild’s favorite and would make two of each so there was plenty to go around. She never forgot that mine was pecan.
It was always a fight to see which kid got to stay at whose house. I always wanted to go to my cousin Stephanie’s house because she was so much fun. She would let me stay up all night watching TV and eat whatever I wanted in her pantry.
As the grandkids got older, Thanksgiving traditions changed. Granny passed away and some people stopped coming to celebrate, saddened by the loss. I took this job at the paper and didn’t have time to drive up to Oklahoma for the meal. And this year Papa was moved into a nursing home.
It’s sad how things change, but I know it’s all part of God’s plan.
So this year I’m thankful for the memories that this time brings to me, and I look forward to creating the same memories for my future children and grandchildren.
Features / Living
Monica Green: Holiday traditions
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