The Christmas Holiday Alone

First off, let me start this by saying Merry Christmas! I hope you and yours are having a fabulous holiday. Whether that is at home or away from the humble abode, I hope you are having a fantastic time. And I mean that truly.

So, it is officially Christmas. As I start this post at 12:30am, it's tough for me to actually go to sleep. Because unlike any other Christmas I've ever had, I'm not waking up with my family, eating a late breakfast, and opening up gifts. Now granted, we've had a few unorthodox Christmases, but none like this. Not one with me in Augusta, GA and my mom recovering from an appendectomy in Columbus, OH. No, for sure, this one takes the cake.

Now, trust me, I'm fine. I'm not homesick. When I picture Christmas, I don't picture Columbus, OH. Honestly, all I picture is my family. My sister complaining about something. My dad moving slow in everything he does. My mom making eggs with cheese, which I despise. And then by 1pm when we all have opened our presents, all the smiles on their faces when we all have opened our presents.

Every year, my mom talks about how we should cut back on our Christmas. Go to a 2-gift limit or something rather. And every year, I tell her "no way" because it's the one holiday where money is no object. My family is not one to celebrate birthdays with extravagance. I mean, who really wants to get older? Instead, we tend to focus on Christmas, because it's when we're all together.

But in 2008, we won't be. In fact, we're not even close. But being away from them has really allowed me to think about how much they mean to me. How much I've grown as a man and how much they influenced that maturation process. How great of friends I have who asked me about my mom, or sent a card, or gave me a gift despite the distance. And that's what it's all about.

You know, I used to think the best Christmas I ever had was the one where we actually opened gifts on Christmas Eve because I surprised my dad with Pacers-Pistons tickets for their Christmas Day game and Colts-Chargers tickets for the day after. I mean, he couldn't believe it. And of course, I bought my mom and sister spa gift certificates. Come on now, I had to do that right?

But as weird as it may sound, this may be the best Christmas yet. First off, because my mom is feeling better after surgery. Nothing is better than that. But also, I feel like I am closer to my family than ever before, despite being 10 hrs away.

So don't worry about me friends. I'm just fine. Kevin in "Home Alone"...now, you should've worried about him. But me, I'll be just fine. There's nothing a brew and The Lion King can't help. MERRY CHRISTMAS, and as always, HAKUNA MATATA.