Every family has traditions that are practiced every holiday season. Things like baking, spending time with family, the food that is eaten, the decorations that are up – all of these things are time honored traditions.
One of the traditions that I have is getting sick.
That’s right. You read that right. Every single Christmas from the time I was 2 until I was about 8 was spent with me being sick. Since then, I’ve traded off, sometimes being sick during Christmas and sometimes I am sick the week before or after. But it just wouldn’t be Christmas if I didn’t get sick.
So I leave you with this photo of myself taken on Christmas morning of 1992 – taken shortly after I woke up to find Santa had visited and left me lots of presents. My parents tried desperately to get me excited, but all I wanted to do was curl up with my blanket on the couch with my new doll and go to sleep. In fact, I only opened this one present and left the rest until that evening.
Elyse Doerflinger, Christmas 1991, with doll.
Copyright: Elyse Doerflinger
As the year comes to an end and many of us celebrate various holidays, I wish you all a wonderful season full of love, good company, and good food. Happy Ancestor hunting!