In the travel section of the Mercury News this morning, there was an article about Christmas in Barcelona. Although I am not a huge fan of the city, the writer stated one of the biggest truths I have come to know in life--”Like so many things in life...Christmas is better in Spain.” That being said, I am off to Spain for a little over ten days tomorrow to spend some time with my boyfriend and family in Sevilla. After a bit of a nontraditional Christmas season here in the United States, I am ready for some much needed (although I’m not sure deserved) R&R and very much looking forward to the “many things in life” that are simply better in Spain.
This Christmas has been unconventional to say the least in the DeBarr house. Losing both of my grandparents this year meant no Patterson family Christmas on Christmas Eve, and having never experienced a Christmas Eve without my mom’s side of the family, I must say that I miss it already. Yesterday wasn’t quite the same. We didn’t go to midnight mass, there was no Christmas grace said by my mom at Christmas Eve dinner, and we didn’t take turns wearing Carlos’ annual Christmas hat. We didn’t dish up my grandmother’s plate for her and we didn’t have any chocolate truffles for dessert--my Grandpa’s favorite. However, this is not to say that unconventional is bad. We went to 6:00pm mass instead of midnight mass, had lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner instead of turkey, and still watched “The Santa Clause” before going to sleep.
Unconventional, I’ve decided, is just new and different. This Christmas for us is about celebrating old traditions and creating new ones--remembering the loved ones we have lost along the way and knowing how lucky we are to have all of the family that we do. Christmas is about much more than gifts and traditions--it’ about family and love, and cherishing both as though nothing else mattered in the world. This Christmas season, I will stay “present.” I will appreciate all that have with grace and action, and hold the memories of those that are no longer here deep in my heart. Love the people who are near and far, living and deceased, and love in action.
I am off to Spain tomorrow morning and will be blogging from there. I am more excited than ever to go back “home” for the first time in over a year. This will be a trip full of family, food, adventure, and love, and I can’t wait. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas of the expected food and family, and little unexpected fun and love. For now, I’ll say “hasta pronto y Feliz Navidad.”
With love,
Kel
About Me
- Kel
- I am 28 years old and learning to live my life with the daily struggles of mental illness. My illnesses are a significant part of my life, but they are not all that I am. I am a teacher, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, too. I'm starting this blog to chronicle my passions, goals, challenges and victories. I want to remind myself that I have come through many seemingly impossible situations, and I will continue to fights for the experiences like the ones I write about in this blog.