This holiday season was my first ever away from Pennsylvania. This was not by personal choice, but living across the globe guarantees certain sacrifices. Like most sacrifices, however, a good deal is always gained in the end.
Christmas Eve is by far, hands down, my most favorite day of the whole year. My birthday wins a clean second place, and Thanksgiving takes the bronze.
So what is it about Christmas that wins my heart? It’s simply tradition. Whether it’s the common sentiment of goodwill, the precise order of graces and toasts, or the decades of recipes passed down and perfectly repeated, my Christmases have always been heavy with tradition. And I didn’t neglect tradition this year even though the family ingredient was missing. I let simmer the sauerkraut soup, froze five dozen pirogies, spent too much money on smoked fish, and wiped dry the inside of celery stalks with a paper towel before nestling in the cream cheese. I attended to all the little details, which is what makes Christmas so special for me in the first place.
And although I was far away and hours ahead of my parents and siblings on my favorite time of the year, I found new traditions to make with Aaron and Maeli.
During this holiday season, the Farr family kicked our adventures off on Christmas day at the beach. That certainly was a first for Aaron, Maeli, and I, as well as the pizza take-out dinner and Lord of the Rings marathon. The hot chocolate morning and pajama wearing until noon were not new traditions, but they certainly found their way into our day.
The day after Christmas took us to the top of Mt. Stenhouse, the tallest mountain on Lamma Island (1,200ft). From our flat, it took us 6 hours round-trip to climb from sea level to the summit. Maeli fared quite well, especially on the way home in daddy’s arms.
Maeli and I found ourselves ice skating a few days later, and before we knew it, 2009 was knocking at our door. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a New Years Eve party at a friend’s house. Most everyone invited fell into the “family with young kids” category. So Maeli had plenty of playmates while Aaron and I enjoyed fine company and endless barbecue. After the party, we “oohed and awed” in Hong Kong central at the midnight firework showing exploding from the tops of the skyscrapers.
We finished our holiday adventures at Disneyland, where Maeli discovered cotton candy to be a new favorite treat, princess dreams to be magical, and mom and dad to be more in love than they ever have been.
Now we look ahead to 2009, where everything is possible.
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