Most families have a basic tradition of traveling or staying home every year for Christmas. However, one can never know what will end up happening at our house. It’s never the same as the previous year, but we always figure it out.

My mother works at the hospital, so every other year she ends up having to work on either Thanksgiving or Christmas. When she has to work, we always stay home while my grandparents tend to drive up from Florida to spend a few days with the three of us (and the dog). Since she works until 3 in the afternoon, I have always been an anxious child waiting until she comes home to open presents. I get to FaceTime my cousins up in Canada while they open their presents to help pass the time before my mom gets home from work. Whenever she doesn’t have to work, we travel. It tends to be some place warm like Florida or an island; although my parents grew up in Canada, they much rather prefer warmth over the cold (and I agree). However, every three years or so, we pack up our bags and head up north. My mom, dad, and I never stay in just one house when we fly to Canada though. Usually, we spend a few nights with my dad’s family before Christmas. My cousins on his side are older and have their own plans for the holidays, so it is nice to spend the days prior reconnecting before we all part ways. Then, it is a major pile of love, cheer, and people as we head to my mom’s side of the family. The holidays are spent at my aunt’s house, but my grandparents and other cousins head over to celebrate with us later in the day. My three cousins are all within two years age difference from me, so it is always easy and fun to hang out with them. This past Christmas we traveled up there, but there was no snow until our last night. White Christmas’s are not normal here in Georgia, so I would’ve hoped Mother Nature could have given me a present but no luck. It was alright though, for my gift was the time with my family. It was also my Nana’s last Christmas, and the time I got to spend with her is still warm in my heart.

Having family all over the place makes holidays a little different than most. A lot of my friends have family within the state and do not travel more than a hundred miles to spend the holidays with both sides of their family. Not mine. My dad’s parents are snowbirds (spending half the year up North and half down South), so we are lucky to have them in the states for Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year is hard and weird to cherish when most of my family is 1,000 miles away. Even though my aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins all wish we could be there, they know that our love does not diminish with the distance between us. We wish we could be snuggled up with them by the tree every Christmas, but loving memories are made both in person and over calls and FaceTime.

For all the people out there that are not able to spend the holidays with their family, do not be discouraged. The holidays are a wonderful time, but making memories with your loved ones does not only occur in December. No matter what your plans are for the rest of this year, make it count with the greatest people in your life.