Holiday in Hawaii, Day 4
As you probably know (because I’ve been going on incessantly about it on this blog), I got to spend a few days with my family in Hawaii last month. If you haven’t ready about shots on the porch with my dad, my adventures with 15-foot waves, or how I learned the hard way that my legs can get sunburned, then you’ll have to check them out. Today I will tell you about Christmas with my family, and how traditions bring us together even 4,000 miles away from our hometown.
When my brother and I were younger we used to wake up really early on Christmas morning, and like any other children, we were excited to see all the cool stuff Santa brought. Our parents didn’t mind that we woke up early, and they offered this as a compromise for their sleep: we couldn’t open up anything under the tree, but we could open our stockings. So, at 3:30a we’d be downstairs playing with whatever Santa put in our stockings. We were allowed to wake our parents up at 6:00a but no sooner. So, we’d be loud hoping they’d just wake up. We were sneaky like that.
Fastforward 20 years, and this is to be my first Christmas with my immediate family all together in five years (due to deployments of my dad and brother and the expense associated with traveling long distances.) Of course, we had to keep the tradition alive. Jeremy arrived at my parents’ house at 3:30a. He woke up me and our younger brother Nick, and we headed downstairs to see what Santa left in our stockings.
We put on some coffee, poured mom some of her homemade tea, and fixed dad a goblet of eggnog spiked with rum (always a welcome surprise), for when they awoke, then sat down to reminisce about old times.
Sadly the giddiness that we used to have wasn’t there, at least not to the extent as it was when we were younger. It was replaced by a warmer feeling, one of happiness that we were all together. Considering I probably won’t get to hang with them for another few years, I was extremely grateful.
Later that day, after opening gifts, Mom cooked an early dinner, just like she used to. A big early dinner, with ham, turkey, potatoes, beans, macaroni and cheese, you name it. All of us gathered around my parents’ dining room table and enjoyed each others’ company as we ate. Dinner with my family is always very informal. We all tell jokes, pick on each other (all in good fun) and have a good time all around.
After dinner we went our separate ways for a bit. I went upstairs to play Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare 2 with my little brother. This time it was on his new Playstation 3 instead of the Xbox 360. For the record, graphics between the two look the same, especially when both are connected using an HDMI cable. I happen to like the Playstation controller better – it feels more natural and intuitive. But having played the 360 for so long it had gotten to the point where it was comfortable as well.
Between all the beer and lethargy that followed dinner, the rest of the day is a blissful blur of happiness with family and enjoying the feeling of home, for the first time in a long time.
Next up: I’ll tell you how I spent my money in Waikiki. Stay tuned…