The Ghosts of Christmas Present & Past

We began Christmas day at home, which was really nice. Midday we went to my brother-in-law's, which turned out to be really nice. We ended the evening at my mom's, which also turned out to be really nice.

My mom has been surviving stage four lung cancer for about a year and a half. From what I understand from my sister-in-law, who is an oncology nurse, six months is a long time to survive this cancer type and stage.

My mom's sister, my aunt Gini was there, too. After caring for my Grandma who passed on my birthday in spring of 2012, she aged rapidly. Her mobility declined nearly overnight. The summer before last when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, my aunt was diagnosed with Parkinson's. I guess I can add my Lyme disease to the family pot of clinical ailments.

Anyway, my mom was so pleased to host family for the holiday. My brother, who despite being able-bodied, can barely take care of himself was there. We barely interact. He took me on a street walk down memory lane, reminding me of a trip our family took long ago to the Big Easy. I was maybe 17. We went clubbing one night and met a couple gals we hung out and danced with. Apparently they were very under age. Their dad tried to retrieve them from the club we were in, pissing off the doorman in the process. An altercation erupted followed by a couple of New Orleans' finest hauling the dad away in handcuffs. The girls were beside themselves.

Despite my brother wanting to just bail and leave the scene, I urged we accompany them until everything turned out. So we got in the bed of someone's old pickup truck and were shuttled down to police HQ. There we waited for quite some time. Apparently the family knew a city council person, who ordered the father's release.

In the end us being there for the family disarmed any sense of wrong doing. I was completely in the closet at the time, and lord knows I had no illustrious intention with these gals. I was just having a great night out. My brother on the other hand, given the opportunity, I'm certain he would have taken advantage of the situation. No harm, no fowl, and I believe we were able to go home with a clear conscious.

Toward the end of the evening, my cousin Robin and I began piecing together a Star Wars puzzle my mom gave me for Christmas. Despite it being small and 300 pieces, the illustration was really intricate and it was a challenge to solve. We didn't get too far before my husband needed to call it a night for health reasons.

Before we left, my mom brought to my attention a coat I once purchased many years ago as a birthday gift for my Grandma. She always had a warm, camel colored wool coat. The one she had from a time before she lost everything had gotten really old and worn out. So I went to Nordstrom and bought her a new one. She loved it, and wore it regularly during the cold months.

After my Grandma passed, my aunt hung onto this coat. She now regularly wears it during the cold months, and wore it that night. As we were all preparing to leave, someone draped the coat over a chair so my aunt would remember it. Seeing this coat again in this manner, for mere moments, I felt as though my Grandma was there with us. That maybe she just got up to get a refresher for her vodka tonic. I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. I looked to my husband with my lips drawn in tight, holding back tears. How my Grandma always loved the holidays and having her family together under one roof. Maybe she was there with us after all ...