The family Travelling Christmas Show is underway… I guess it started on Saturday, if you want to get all technical. That’s when my Fiancee and I headed up to her mom’s house for her family’s celebration of food and gifts. Today we had the second installment of the food and presents extravaganza that is the hallmark of the true Travelling Christmas Show.
When I was just a tiny little computer geek, we’d have four or five different Christmases in a bunch of different cities. First was a few hours drive east to visit to my Aunt and Uncle. The next day, we’d drive a few more hours south and have the traditional Christmas Eve extended family get-together and gift exchange. The next morning was another gift exchange with my Mom’s siblings at my Grandma’s house. Then another hour or so of driving would get us to my Dad’s folks, and another Christmas. Then we’d bundle in to the car for the long drive back north for the last installment with just me, Sis, Mom and Dad.
Naturally, the traditions have evolved over the past few years. People have died, people have moved away… I’m down to just one grandparent at this point, and she’s living in a home. Having Christmas at her place was strange this year. There’s an uncle taking care of her house and she was able to visit, but it was odd seeing her as if she were a guest in her own house.
But there are new traditions building, and I think I like the way they’re shaping up. There could very well be a new Travelling Christmas Show for me. In time, I’ll be the one driving my family around. My eventual kids will be visiting their aunts and uncles and grandparents and extended cousins… We’ll be driving north and west instead of south and east, but the Show will go on…