My Home for the Holidays Survey

Who do you want to go home to visit? or Who do you want to come home to visit you? Why? I want to go to my son's new home to visit for the holidays. He is our only child and lives in Texas since he started work after college in 1999. He married in 2005 and he and his wife just bought their home in Dallas as they are expecting our first grand child. I would love to see more than a picture on the internet and instead be able to spend the holidays with them and since her family lives there, we would all be together for this special occasion.
What is your relationship with this person? How long have you known them? This is my son, my only child, my heart. I, of course, have known him for all of his 32 years of life.
When was the last time you spent the holidays with this person? It has been about 3 years in a way because they usually spend Christmas with his wife's family as they live in Texas and we live in Florida. Sometimes, they try and fly in for a day or so during the holiday time like they did 3 years ago but with all the people wanting to see them and them wanting to have actual Christmas day in Texas, it has been too long since we have been together on Christmas Day.
What is your most meaningful holiday memory with this person? So many but I think the most meaningful has to be the last year my parents were alive and we were all together. My son was only 3 and was the light of my Mom's eyes. It saddens me that they never got to see what a fine young man he has grown up to be. That Christmas, he crawled up in my mom's lap and was emphatic that she open her gift from him first. Of course, it was a macaroni made "jewelry box" (he called it a "zhoo wee box") that he was so proud of having made in pre-school. The teacher had sprayed it gold and he told his grandmother that he loved her so much that he had brought her a gift of gold. She knew about her cancer at that time and tears welled up but I don't think I will ever forget the picture they made that year with that golden box and a golden memory.
How do you find meaning in the holidays? More and more as I get older, I know I find meaning in the holidays by being with family, sharing stories of years gone by, or things to look forward to in the future. This past summer I lost my cousin to an aggressive brain tumor in 3 months, and he was the only relative I have who was still alive and living in our town. We grew up together like brother and sister and I miss him so. He was out best man, my husband's best friend, my son's Godfather and so much more. I do not think I can be in town this year on Christmas and bear feeling the loss of his not being at my home on Christmas Day as he always has been. Being with my son in Texas will make it so much easier to bear, and being surrounded by the joy and love of all the new Texas family and the coming baby will mean the world to me.

My Home for the Holidays Survey

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