Until a few years ago, Christmas wasn't a big day for me. It became all about presents and lots of food, and I never really saw it as an important holiday.
Everything changed in 2006 when we went back to México for the first time after 5 years. I arrived the morning of Nochebuena, December 24th. All my family got together that night for dinner at my grandma's house, even though they were all fighting with each other. My abuelito had the biggest smile on his face and said he was happy to see his legacy all together, four generations that proudly carried his last name. Seeing my family together made it one of the best Christmas I ever had.
Every Christmas since then has been memorable in their own way. I was living in Madrid, Spain on December of 2007 and it was my first Christmas without my family. We were walking across Puerta del Sol on our way to a friend's house when the midnight campanadas welcomed Christmas day. Right there, in the middle of the street, my roommates and I hugged and wished each other a feliz navidad. By the time we got to my friend's house I was so emotional and homesick that I started crying! I had never missed my family so much in my life... being 5, 382 miles away from them made me appreciate our Christmases together, the nochebuenas eating and sharing together, and the morning after opening our gifts. Christmas took a new meaning, it wasn't about food and gifts anymore, it was about celebrating another year with my familia.
By Christmas of '08 I was back in Southern California, and really took advantage of having my family with me. We laughed, we shared, we were together! And last year I had my little bean "dancing" inside of me. I remember thinking that by the next Christmas I was going to have my Julián with me! It seemed so far away...
And here we are now, it'll be our first Christmas with the baby!! He probably won't remember a thing, but I'm pretty sure it'll be one of the best days of my life! I know that Christmas is a religious celebration and that I should be politically correct and say "holidays". But I don't want to get into any of that. For me Christmas has become a day of familia, of cherishing one another and celebrate another year together.
Only ten more days! Can't wait =)
MJ
That's a beautiful post, MJ. You've had a lot of memorable Christmases. It really is about family. The economy has been so difficult so we aren't able to buy a lot of gifts or fancy meals - but that has just made it more obvious to us what is more important.
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