60 Years Old And I Still Go To Mom's For Christmas

[HollowPoint]

Yea, my mom is still alive. She's a tough old bird that raised a whole lota kids on her own.

It's time to make the annual Christmas rounds. First stop, mom's house. From there I visit my five siblings living in town then I take a break and call my brother in New Mexico. Then it's on to my older nieces and nephews; the first generation nieces and nephews.

At last count (last year) I had somewhere around 36 or 37 nieces and nephews. (the offspring of my original nieces and nephews) It seems like every year some of them drop another litter of kids. I can't keep track of them all. I quit trying several years ago.

I'm grateful to have my family but, truth be told; most of them I wouldn't recognize if I happened to bump into them while I was out and about. Still, I thank God for them all.

Merry Christmas everyone.

HollowPoint

[DougGuy]

Merry Christmas! Love a good traditional Christmas. I don't miss much about the 2nd divorce but the things that stick with me are the memories of all the Christmases spent driving into the snow belt of PA, watching all the nieces and nephews tear into their presents like little tornadoes, 2 adults on duty with yard bags catching wrapping paper as it flew into piles about the room.. Good times don't get much better..

[hpbear101]

Merry Christmas HollowPoint! I am 55 and headed to mom and dad's for Christmas. I too am very fortunate to still have my parents, and my entire family is a huge blessing. Mom and dad live an hour (in good weather) from me, way up in the mountains at 5200' with lots of snow, the perfect place to spend Christmas.

Merry Christmas all!

Tom

[buckwheatpaul]

HollowPoint, Family is important....moms more so! Be glad you have them and I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas...Paul

[shdwlkr]

Hollow point
Merry Christmas and cherish those times with family. My parents are both gone over a decade now.

[Freightman]

Cherish them as some of us didn't get to keep ours that long. Still miss mine and it has been more years than I care to count. Merry Christmas

[lightman]

We did Christmas at Mom's house yesterday. As the Boys grew up and married its gotten harder to do the traditional Christmas on the exact day, so we pick a date that everyone can do.

My Wife has been battling with Mom for years to take over the cooking and festivities but Mom won't give it up. Its caused a little friction, to be honest. Oh well, we were all together, the kids had fun, the Grandkids had fun, the adults had fun. Life is good!

Oh yeah, I'm closing in on 60.

[slim1836]

I drove from Tx to Louisville, Ky to visit my mother for the holidays, my sister came from SC to do the same. At 88, my mother runs rings around me and I'm only 63. Having a great time but I'll hate the drive back home.

slim

[OnHoPr]

Seems like, very fortunate. mama's boy :kidding:

[HollowPoint]

I just met the newest member of our family this morning while I was visiting mom's place. That now makes it about 38 nieces and nephews and maybe some that I don't know about. It's a baby boy; little Julian.

"Julian" wouldn't have been my first choice of names for a little boy but he appears to be a strong and healthy little rug-rat and I'm sure he'll be a hand full for mom and dad. He was named after a cherished family member on his mother's side of the family so I just can't hold it against anyone. When pronounced in the spanish language, "Julian" sounds just a little more masculine; at least in my ears. I wish I'd remembered to take a picture so I could show him off a little.

Mom is Spanish/French; so I've been told; And dad was Mexican/Indian. My family members have come out of womb looking as dark as a Native-American to as light as a blue-eyed and blond haired inner-city Caucasian; with eyes and hair color that spans the color gamut. I'm somewhere in between and I have no hair. We're all home grown and American made.

I was happy to read that I'm not the only one from our generation that still remembers the old family traditions of Christmas. Be safe everyone; and have a happy new year. My best regards to your families.

HollowPoint

[popper]

Wasn't able to get over to see Mom but fortunately she answered when I called. At 97 she can still talk a leg off a chair.

[hutch18414]

I am envious of you, my mother has been gone for 6 years now. Enjoy every minute you possibly can with her, and a camera or movie camera ain't a bad thing either.

[MrWolf]

Aye, 7 years now my Mom has been gone almost to the day. Cherish while you can.

[kodiak1]

Hollow Point I envy you! I am also 60 and haven't been able to have a dinner with Mom since 1999 and Dad well he passed in 1986.
My Wife lost her Dad in 1977 and her Mom in 1987 both to Cancer.
Congratulations and keep on bragging about being able to have dinner with Mom you lucky dog you.

[skeettx]

You are indeed blessed
Please keep on posting the good news
Mike

[castalott]

Thou art Blessed... I would give a lot just to hug my mom.... You can't spend too much time with them.... Dale

[tinsnips]

I am 60 years old my mother is 85 years old guess where I am for xmas!

[shooterg]

Like above, I was picking up wrapping paper that was raining back down like snow from 7 great nieces and nephews opening their goodies, while the wife, me, and the nieces and nephews watched. My 91 year old Marine Pops said grace, and we then tore up the food and let all the rug rats loose to play ! I slept late today....

[mold maker]

I moved into Moms home (2010) when she passed. Now it's my place that the neighbors, friends, and kin folk, still gather to remember and celebrate. Having all my children live adjacent is a blessing. I get to enjoy them all, every day.
It took lots of prayers and some funds to arrange that, in an old established comunity.
Christmas eve lunch, there were 27 around the 22' table and enough food to feed all them again.
It's a tradition started when I was very young, with the promise it will be continued at least through the next two generations.
To say I'm blessed doesn't describe it.

[Tenbender]

Yea, my mom is still alive. She's a tough old bird that raised a whole lota kids on her own.

It's time to make the annual Christmas rounds. First stop, mom's house. From there I visit my five siblings living in town then I take a break and call my brother in New Mexico. Then it's on to my older nieces and nephews; the first generation nieces and nephews.

At last count (last year) I had somewhere around 36 or 37 nieces and nephews. (the offspring of my original nieces and nephews) It seems like every year some of them drop another litter of kids. I can't keep track of them all. I quit trying several years ago.

I'm grateful to have my family but, truth be told; most of them I wouldn't recognize if I happened to bump into them while I was out and about. Still, I thank God for them all.

Merry Christmas everyone.

HollowPoint


Wish I could.

[Lloyd Smale]

same age as you and am fortunate to still have both of my parents to go and see for the holidays!

[firefly1957]

I am also your age and have both parents was at my mothers Christmas eve my father has the big Christmas it is tomorrow this is his 87th year a bit worried as he is starting to have health issues .

[Lloyd Smale]

Yup dad and ma are really slowing down too. Especially ma. She can barely walk anymore. Sad watching them struggle.
I am also your age and have both parents was at my mothers Christmas eve my father has the big Christmas it is tomorrow this is his 87th year a bit worried as he is starting to have health issues .

[6bg6ga]

Lost Dad in 03 but Mom at 91 is still alive and kicking. I finally pulled the plug on Mom making Christmas dinner for everyone when she was 85. I told her she had done more than enough and it was time to sit back and enjoy life and enjoy the holidays without having to work them. My wife and I have put on all the holidays since then. Mom enjoyed Christmas dinner at our house and it was amusing to see her plate piled with food when she generally only eats a tablespoon full of each item. I gave her the ham bone from the 21lb ham I purchased for Christmas along with a bunch of ham as I knew she would be able to have some good meals from it. I called her the next day and asked if she had made the bean soup she was planning to make and she had not because she didn't have beans on hand. I made bean soup and divided it so the wife and I had some for dinner and Mom would have a big container of it for 3 or 4 meals. She called me last night telling me how she enjoyed the soup I made her and it made me think back of when I was young and how she put off things she wanted to make sure we had what we needed and it made me feel good to be able to pay back just a little to a woman that has always been there for anyone needing a helping hand. Treasure all those moments that you have with your folks. I miss my Dad so much and I am so ashamed for not making time to see him more before he left God's earth. Yes, right now I am crying like a baby thinking how I would gladly trade 5 years of my life for 5 more minutes of being able to talk to Dad.

[opos]

I'm 79 and the folks have been gone for some time now...but I never go through a Christmas or Thanksgiving without missing the smell of the wonderful food and seeing Mom, Dad and all the relatives gathering for the holiday. My cousins, aunts and uncles, etc are either gone or have moved far away...My immediate family gathers the best we can...we are sort of spread out but manage to all do the best we can...

I look at the pictures of the old Christmas times...the electric train set, the little toy trucks, the tree with the decorations we made in school like the looped paper stringers that wrapped aruond the tree...and I feel a warm happy but sad feeling. I have the memories and my mind is still strong enough to go back in time...but realizing it's a time gone and soon my kids and relatives will move on without me...I'm so glad my folks and my grandparents, etc made a big to-do about the gatherings around the family table...watching Uncle Chuck have his third helping of everything...Grandad and dad playing ping pong in the basement...the women washing and drying dishes...sneaking a bit of left over dressing or cranberry sauce .... playing with my cousins and being jealous of what they got that I didn't, etc...it was a wonderful time. I'm nearly 80 and the picture is of a typical get together at Christmas back in the early 50's...I'm the little kid sitting at the table with the darker shirt on sitting next to my "ugh" girl cousin...who I miss seeing a lot these days.

183743

[mold maker]

Create good memories. Time will come when that's all we have. A missed opportunity is like a snowflake in the wind.