SoakingIn

It's Christmas Time Again

Well, as you can tell from the title I'm sure you know what time it is, or rather what day it is. So Merry Christmas everyone! As great as I'm sure it is going to be, there is a big part of my Christmas isn't here and it will be, at the very least, incomplete.

Anyway, I had the first family Christmas even tonight, the biggest and most traditional. I finally met my uncle's significant other, or whatever she is. (She was wearing a ring but the two of them swear up and down that they're not engaged). My uncle looked a lot better than the last time I saw him (Thanksgiving) but that doesn't mean that all is well. He is still drinking, heavily. I wish that there was something that I could do to help him but I'm of no use. He is wasting his life away one sip at a time and I can't watch that happen to another person that I care about.

My aunt brought her other half as well, it's really hard to determine which one of them is the better half because neither of them is much good. They stuck around for food and presents and then immediately took off.

The cousins are... their normal self. Michael is distant, Kelly is Kelly, and Brian is drunk. Kevin is only 3 months from getting his license (terrifying, I know) and in a few months All of the cousins will be teenagers.

My grandpa looks a lot better than I saw him last and will apparently be able to move to a cane sometime soon.

On the way home though, I talked to my parents a lot about my upbringing and such and began to talk to them about my grandma (who died before I was born). I was named after her, Anne Marie, partially because my mom wanted in some way to believe that her mother was still with her after she died. This turned out to be more appropriate than either of my parents imagined. Apparently I am my grandmother, more than anyone could have expected. My mom said that I am my grandma born in the time period she deserved to live in. My grandmother went to college, in the 50's, something unheard of in those days for a woman, but was faced with far too much controversy to put her education to good use. She was forced to simply stay at home and raise the children, which made it even harder when she died because she was the rock that the entire family stood on.

I guess that in some way I'm extremely complemented that my mom told me that she reminded me so much of her mother.

I wish I had met her, I really really do.
Maybe that's what I should have wished for for Christmas...

posted by Anne @ 12:11 AM