Sunday, December 23

Recapturing Christmas

Christmas kinda snuck up on me this year.

When I was a kid, I'd start pestering my Tita to put up the Christmas decorations as early as October (That was our "thing," something we always did together). And all the days leading up to Christmas Eve would be spent in anticipation of the gifts I would be getting. I'd also spend days thinking of the perfect gift for my Mom and my Nana, and all the other members of my crazy extended family.

Christmas Eve was my absolute favorite day of the year. My Nana would be in the kitchen all day cooking all of our favorites - Lengua Estofado, Chicken Galantina, Embotido, etc.. And my Tita would make her lasagna that I loved so much. I remember I never felt sleepy. I'd be wide awake the whole day, waiting for 12 midnight when we'd all gather around the tree and open presents.

Today is the 23rd of December, and I feel a bit cheated. I'm just now realizing that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I didn't have any of the excitement or anticipation. I guess it comes with the territory. After all, I am an adult now. Except, I'd really rather not be one just yet. At least for a day, I want to be a kid again. I don't care so much about the gifts anymore. After all, they'll all be forgotten after awhile. What I want is to sit around a table, with my entire family, eating good food, joking around. That, for me, is what being a kid is about. The security of being with the people who have been taking care of me my entire life. The feeling that nothing has really changed. That when it comes down to it, we're still a family, no matter what has happened in the past year.

So tomorrow I hope I get to be a kid again. Just a little bit longer, before I have to grow up.