Merry Christmas Eve

Last year when the DadUnit died, I tried for hours to find a photo I KNEW I had taken of he and I going out on our annual Christmas Eve shopping trip. I couldn't find it. I looked through every scrapbook I had and still couldn't find it.

Fast forward to the last couple of months where I've been taking photos of all my scrapbook pages for safe keeping....I found it!

I'm sad that we only have one photo of us doing this, but one photo will have to be enough.

In case you don't recall, the story goes like this.

One year many moons ago, the DadUnit whispered to me that he hadn't shopped for the MomUnit yet and would I go with him.  I pointed out it was Christmas Eve, at which time he said, "And?"

From there it became our special time. He'd always buy me a special gift that was from just him. Over the years I tried to come up with things that he'd know about - to make him feel useful.  We'd have lunch, go shopping, the MomUnit would get EVERY THING on her list, we'd come home and I'd wrap gifts for three hours. 

It's something I'll never forget. And as I sit here this Christmas Eve and ponder traditions that are now gone, I can't help but think about how to make new traditions. It's sad to me that we've lost so much this last year, and yet I find strength in knowing that we will over come the loss and move on. New traditions are to be made.

And let's not forget all the old traditions that still exist? Frito Lollies on Christmas Eve, the MomUnit eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve, Sunday dinners, my themed birthday parties, decorating the day after Thanksgiving, undecorating the day after Christmas, clam dip for an appetizer, and so on.  There is so much we still have to be thankful for.  I'm going to choose to look at those moments now and not linger on the sad ones.

Who's with me?