Christmas
I felt better when I woke up this morning. There was still paint in my hair. Flecks of it had come off on my sheets and beside the bed; when I wiped my eyes, there was some lodged in my sleep. Most of it came out in the shower. Now I'm listening to Jack Bruce and Robin Trower's Truce as I write this blog. 9:53 - Mom's still knocked out.
Most thankfully, we celebrated the holidays on Friday the 22nd (the Winter Solstice) instead of on the 25th. I spent most of the day cleaning the home, making Granny B's calendar, and writing cards. At one point, Mom and I went to Sloat Garden Center: I bought her potting soil and bought Dad some perennial herbs and cauliflower plants. It was so funny ...Mom honestly did not remember asking for potting soil. So when I stood in line, I was paranoid that she had seen me get it. As soon as I'd paid, I started stuffing the 3.5-gallon bag of soil beneath my shirt. The cashier looked amused and perplexed - I told her that it was a "surprise" gift for my mom, who was here somewhere in the store. She laughed.
I managed to keep it hidden from Mom, don't ask me how.
Well, the guests came, and the root vegetables were a bigger hit than I thought. Everyone made a beeline for the beets; the raddish, cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms looked slightly left out. After everyone had eaten a bit, we started opening gifts. I am happy to say that I got people only things that they could use - I am actually pretty tired of the whole Christmas holiday. Neither Dad nor I think that we'll be around next year during the holidays. Mass consumerism, families having obligations to each other (ignoring their whole relationships the rest of the year), people left alone so that they get depressed... Waste. So many others in other countries on Earth do not experience the massive money-spending or the massive horrors that constitute the Christmas holidays. That's why Mom and I celebrate Kwanzaa. There's no gift-giving; each night, for seven nights, we reflect on the entire past year, our thankfulness for our fortunes, and our honor, love, and respect for the ancestors who came before us - our love, in fact, for our whole community. That's what this time represents to me. That's why the Winter Solstice is my favorite "holiday" of the year.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox for a few minutes and go back to the 22nd. To be honest, I was having fun. Mom, Dad, my godmother KE, Aunt Kyra, Granny B, our guest Lani, and I were having a very cheerful banter as my parents were reliving some of their older times. Very funny. I am so thankful that my family does have a good time when they get together. On those occasions, my family enlightens me of my past, of all the rich connections they used to share. On those occasions, they reminisce a little.
As they opened their gifts, I found myself watching them. I'd given Mom, Dad, and KE CDs from my childhood - we'd had them on cassettes that slowly faded over the years. I watched KE's face when she read the card I wrote her. Very subtly, she began to cry. I hugged her; I'd known she'd react that way. In each of my cards to my parents, I had thanked them, in some way or another, for giving me a childhood.
Mom had to keep reminding me to open my gifts. It was funny. I had asked for a heating pad to help my lower back; I am very thankful to say that I got it. I had also asked for maps of México, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica - those, too. Mom gave me a calendar - ironically, I had been paying so much attention to putting together Granny B's calendar that I'd forgotten about needing one for my own. Each month of the year had pictures of Granny B's family. I'd included birthdays she might find important and spent a while choosing holidays; there are several per month. :-) First Granny B read my calendar, then KE, then Lani. I can think of no greater compliment to a gift than that.
On Sunday, I'd spent time hanging out with some of my friends. On Monday, yesterday, I saw KE off to the airport. She and young David are at a Hones family reunion in South Carolina, of all places (the Honeses are from Michigan). Afterwards, it felt too lonely in KE's home, so I went to Dad's home and finished painting his bathroom. He was there the whole day, cooking for his party that will be later on tonight. I kept him company, decorating my arms, face, hair, and hands with paint (both dry and wet) and dust. We talked a bit, but I was more focused on scraping paint and priming his mold-infested medicine cabinet. He was delighted; I was amused. This wound up being the perfect Christmas gift. Ironically, I finished on Christmas, a hope I'd given up a while ago. By the time I was finished, my lips were sprayed with paint, it was 8:00PM, and we both were exhausted; we'd started our days at 6AM that morning. Despite being tired, Dad surprised me and, as he walked me outside, gave me a ride home. We laughed over the irony of Christmas as we got stuck in the only traffic jam in the city ...good quality time. I got in with a headache and decided to lie down for a bit before pursuing a shower. I fell asleep in less than 10 minutes.
Most thankfully, we celebrated the holidays on Friday the 22nd (the Winter Solstice) instead of on the 25th. I spent most of the day cleaning the home, making Granny B's calendar, and writing cards. At one point, Mom and I went to Sloat Garden Center: I bought her potting soil and bought Dad some perennial herbs and cauliflower plants. It was so funny ...Mom honestly did not remember asking for potting soil. So when I stood in line, I was paranoid that she had seen me get it. As soon as I'd paid, I started stuffing the 3.5-gallon bag of soil beneath my shirt. The cashier looked amused and perplexed - I told her that it was a "surprise" gift for my mom, who was here somewhere in the store. She laughed.
I managed to keep it hidden from Mom, don't ask me how.
Well, the guests came, and the root vegetables were a bigger hit than I thought. Everyone made a beeline for the beets; the raddish, cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms looked slightly left out. After everyone had eaten a bit, we started opening gifts. I am happy to say that I got people only things that they could use - I am actually pretty tired of the whole Christmas holiday. Neither Dad nor I think that we'll be around next year during the holidays. Mass consumerism, families having obligations to each other (ignoring their whole relationships the rest of the year), people left alone so that they get depressed... Waste. So many others in other countries on Earth do not experience the massive money-spending or the massive horrors that constitute the Christmas holidays. That's why Mom and I celebrate Kwanzaa. There's no gift-giving; each night, for seven nights, we reflect on the entire past year, our thankfulness for our fortunes, and our honor, love, and respect for the ancestors who came before us - our love, in fact, for our whole community. That's what this time represents to me. That's why the Winter Solstice is my favorite "holiday" of the year.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox for a few minutes and go back to the 22nd. To be honest, I was having fun. Mom, Dad, my godmother KE, Aunt Kyra, Granny B, our guest Lani, and I were having a very cheerful banter as my parents were reliving some of their older times. Very funny. I am so thankful that my family does have a good time when they get together. On those occasions, my family enlightens me of my past, of all the rich connections they used to share. On those occasions, they reminisce a little.
As they opened their gifts, I found myself watching them. I'd given Mom, Dad, and KE CDs from my childhood - we'd had them on cassettes that slowly faded over the years. I watched KE's face when she read the card I wrote her. Very subtly, she began to cry. I hugged her; I'd known she'd react that way. In each of my cards to my parents, I had thanked them, in some way or another, for giving me a childhood.
Mom had to keep reminding me to open my gifts. It was funny. I had asked for a heating pad to help my lower back; I am very thankful to say that I got it. I had also asked for maps of México, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica - those, too. Mom gave me a calendar - ironically, I had been paying so much attention to putting together Granny B's calendar that I'd forgotten about needing one for my own. Each month of the year had pictures of Granny B's family. I'd included birthdays she might find important and spent a while choosing holidays; there are several per month. :-) First Granny B read my calendar, then KE, then Lani. I can think of no greater compliment to a gift than that.
On Sunday, I'd spent time hanging out with some of my friends. On Monday, yesterday, I saw KE off to the airport. She and young David are at a Hones family reunion in South Carolina, of all places (the Honeses are from Michigan). Afterwards, it felt too lonely in KE's home, so I went to Dad's home and finished painting his bathroom. He was there the whole day, cooking for his party that will be later on tonight. I kept him company, decorating my arms, face, hair, and hands with paint (both dry and wet) and dust. We talked a bit, but I was more focused on scraping paint and priming his mold-infested medicine cabinet. He was delighted; I was amused. This wound up being the perfect Christmas gift. Ironically, I finished on Christmas, a hope I'd given up a while ago. By the time I was finished, my lips were sprayed with paint, it was 8:00PM, and we both were exhausted; we'd started our days at 6AM that morning. Despite being tired, Dad surprised me and, as he walked me outside, gave me a ride home. We laughed over the irony of Christmas as we got stuck in the only traffic jam in the city ...good quality time. I got in with a headache and decided to lie down for a bit before pursuing a shower. I fell asleep in less than 10 minutes.
posted by Yvea at 9:50 AM
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