At this time last year we had a house full of people; My brother, his wife and their son were visiting from almost four thousand kilometres away where they live, right up at the top of Australia. They were here to spend Christmas with us for the first time in many years and it was the first time Faith and I had had young children around at Christmas for longer than we could remember.
We had only just met my nephew for the first time and from that first uncle-hug with him I was bonded with him. That little guy, not yet two, and I were inseparable for the week they visited, other nappy-change-time of course, I made sure I was a long way off at those moments! We became best mates and remain so.
As uncles and aunt's are supposed to do we spoiled him on Christmas day. Faith and I had spent some time finding all sorts of things; Clothes, books, a hat and toys...We hadn't spend a huge amount of money but put a lot of love into it and were keen to see him open his gifts on Christmas morning.
He loved everything we got him and played with it all, and still does a year later. The thing he loved the most though? Trucks. He loves trucks. He loves bulldozers too, he calls them boo-doh-doors and anything that looks like one is one, even if it's not.
Of course, they had to leave eventually, and we were very sad. We missed him so much, and his parents too of course. Having them here at Christmas was so great as all of my family have moved elsewhere and it's rare to see them. Having them here last Christmas had made me very happy.
We have video-chatted most weeks since then but that's not the same and we will really miss them this year at Christmas; It will be a quiet Christmas day
Whilst tidying up the other day, one of those cleans where everything gets moved, we came across this truck. This was one of those Faith and I gave to my nephew last Christmas and it must have gotten missed in the pack up. Faith found it and brought it to me and...Well, it made me get a little emotional as it reminded me of that little bloke and how much I really miss him.
It now sits on my home office desk, right next to one of my own toy cars I was given forty or so years ago, my favourite one, and will remain there as a constant reminder of my nephew.
I showed him the truck on a video-chat a few days ago and he laughed and shouted, uncle gangyangs truck! He's bilingual, learning English and Japanese simultaneously, so his pronunciation isn't quite right. It was a nice moment and he raced off to get his own and we played trucks together over video-chat for a while. It was a nice moment and I'm glad this truck got left behind so I could play with my nephew.
This year we won't be playing with toys on Christmas day but we will be video-chatting with my nephew at the top of Australia and my niece in Finland...We'll be sharing their Christmas day, checking out their toys or whatever they get from Santa, and generally just trying to connect with them as much as we can. It always makes me happy to do so, but I always feel like I'm missing out on so much of their lives through the distance that keeps us separated; I feel detached from them mostly, but also strangely, always connected.
This little toy is a connection to my nephew, a link, and I'm pleased to have it; I'm also pleased to have brothers that ensure their children do not forget who I am and they both always talk about me with their kids and promote the connection to their uncle. This is important to me, and to Faith, as we are a childless couple - I suppose it makes out niece and nephew so much more important to us.
And how about you folks? Do y'all have lots of family around at this time of year, kids running and screaming around the place, loads of activity and noise? Or is your Christmas like Faith's and my own, quiet and spent mostly by ourselves? Feel free to comment below, I really value your interaction.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209
We have had both. The crazy noisy x-mas on the road with a large loving inlaw (@pooky-jax's) family. (mine is a joke)
And many quiet (except for cat x-mas tree climbing) holidays.
Is it wrong that these days I prefer the quiet?
Ours will be just like yours. Even the video chats, with the thank you uncle/aunty sessions.
Interesting Christmas tree ornament! 😀
I think many will have a quieter Christmas this year, it sort of feels right considering the year we've had. A great time to reflect, recharge and regroup for the push into 2021!
I normally have a fairly quiet Christmas but this year we are renting a holiday unit on the sunshine coast Queensland and have three generations all in the one unit so lots of noise and activities 😵 no peace and quiet this year lol.
Hmmm...Seems like you're in for a noisy one mate - But the Sunshine Coast? Seems bloody perfect. I have a mate that lives in the hinterland just out of Coolum Beach...Stunning location. I think you'll have a great time! (Despite the noise). 😉
Yeah we will have a great time. Mates place sound fantastic 👍
It will also be a quiet Christmas for us, as due to social distancing we have decided to just spend the day home only the three of us. We are a big family, I have three brothers and a sister and my wife has two sisters so our son has many cousins. We get to see them all every once in a while except for my sister and her three girls who live in Milwaukee. They were supposed to come last summer and then this Christmas, but Covid ruined the plans. I hope 2021 is the end of this nightmare and we can start, little by little, getting a chance to freely move around again.
I still remember the face of our son opening the presents when he was a little kid. Just seeing his smile would change your day. Cars and trucks were also some of his favorites.
Same as here, just three, Faith, her mum plus me. We've been doing some cooking to save time tomorrow (Friday) and will pretty much just hang around, eat and watch some movies I guess. Nothing too special.
It was fun last year with my nephew here but we'll have a video chat tomorrow so that'll be something.
Dear @galenkp, Looking at your young nephews, you seem to feel even greater solitude and sadness.
Heart is a lonely hunter, Is he focusing on hunting to forget solitude, sadness, and suffering?
Is he dreaming of a comfortable and immediate death as he sees wild animals falling and dying with exploding gunshots?
Always pretending to be the happiest and strongest man in the world, but actually the weakest and most sensitive man!
He always smiles confidently and wears sunglasses. I imagine the eyes of a man in his fifties sad, lonely and exhausted behind his sunglasses.
Perhaps he is imagining the end of his life, seeing the animals being hunted by him?
He may be imagining a comfortable, momentary death as he sees the animals he has been shot and fell.
I call him heart is a lonely hunter!
I don't know what that means.
Dear cool guy @galenkp, I dedicate this poem to you.
There is a phrase like this in a Korean proverb.
Hunters deliberately use large gunfires to hide the screams of dying animals.
When hunters die, they make the cry of the animals they hunt.
As the brave hunters dies, they cry like the deer he killed.
I hope my poor English doesn't unpleasant you!😔
Ah ok, it's a poem. I thought it might be, but wasn't sure. A reasonable effort, well done.
Sorry for imitating Isaiah and Jeremiah in the Bible.😔
I'm a mostly solo for Christmas. My family is 1500 miles (2400km) away in cold country so they are on their own. Or more correctly, I am. Erv is coming over to bring me lunch and pick up Sam. Nancy worries that I might lose a half pound so is sending lunch, and they are ready for some dog slobber in their lives.
I talked to my brother yesterday, we have a family problem wrapped in a moral question and he had some time on his mission to spoil his grandchildren in North Carolina so called. He had the time because he upgraded his rental Toyota to a Land Rover and it didn't make it to their grandchildren's place. Died so completely that he couldn't even turn the flashers on to protect them :) At night on a rural road. With out even a flashlight. (I'm sure he has a rental car bag packed by now).
Anyway, the truck gave me an 'awww shucks' moment. Part of our discussion yesterday included heirs, and I reminded him that his heirs are also mine. I'm missing my nephews (one is 40 for crying out loud) and their children. My youngest nephew has a daughter that is just like him and promises that he will experience some of the tension that my brother did. Life is good.
I looked for a picture and I don't have it. My other bother Larry showed me (but didn't send) a picture of his grandson standing on a fresh pile of dirt beside grampa's boo-doh-door. A Cat D-8. Kayden got to spend 4 hours with Grandpa driving on the Cat (he's almost 5) and even got to steer and run the blade some. Kid has a grin that might still be there...
Larry and my sisters sold their business a year ago, but Larry kept his dirt rolling stuff and a truck. Kayden's dad bought his other 3 trucks and runs his own business now. Kayden's Mom (my niece) is the comptroller of the former family business :)
So I'll talk to at least some of them on Christmas. But I'd really like to be running a boo-doh-door with Kayden and his sister and all 13 nephews and nieces...
This time of year is a shit time to be missing people, especially if they are so far away. You know you'd be welcome here mate, for Christmas day, but that's no consolation considering Australia is a bazillion kilometres away. The thought is there though.
I was going to message you tomorrow if I didn't hear from you on a post today. You've been a little quieter than normal and I wanted to make sure you were ok. Never hesitate to give me a shout on Discord. I use Threema messaging app on my phone too if you want my profile code. (No phone numbers change hands, so very secure.)
Anyway, it'll be quiet around here tomorrow, except for a few video chats...We'll eat, snooze, watch a movie or two...I'll drop a weekend-engagement topic also...A usual sort of day off I guess.
Anyway take it easy mate.
P.s. Range Rover or Land Rover? No matter I guess, they all have electrical problems, or so I'm told.
I'm pretty sure he said Land Rover. It was a parking lot upgrade, he said they have a gozillion cars on the lot, and he'd never driven a Rover. He was thinking the original Toyota would have been a better bet today :)
This is a sort of quiet time of year for me.
Yeah, that happens; Upgrades. The good thing is it's theirs not his because fixing those buggers up is not the cheapest thing.
Quiet mate, yeah, it will be here too. The thing is though, that no matter the distance between people, those that are connected will always be. Small consolation at times, but much better than no connection.
boo-doh-doors !!! how cute!
I missed out seeing all my nieces and nephew growing up as I was out of the country all the time, luckily since we're such a close knit family I get all the updates from my siblings so don't feel totally out of the picture.
In terms of Christmas, mine is like yours know, just the two of us. Gotten used to it now since we got married, so it feels ok, we've never been big on celebrations anyway. Happy Christmas and hope you have a great catch up with your nephew!
I wish I was catching up with my nephew, but alas he is 4000km away in another part of Australia as per the post. It's ok though, we'll video chat at some stage.
I hope you have a great Christmas and New year. 🙂
Hey @galenkp I hope your quiet holiday video chatting was a good one. I know in person is so much better. You have to appreciate technology these days, we can stay connected from afar and that is pretty awesome! It's so sweet to read that you played trucks with your nephew over video chat. You're an awesome Uncle and will always remember those little things that mean so much!
My son and I had a quiet day that honestly just felt like another day. I prefer that way. I don't have a huge family but being where we are, and having a nice cooking session with my son was more than perfect and might actually make this one the best yet. No gifts, no decorations... just quiet and quality time with one and only child.
I'm a little late, haven't had a ton of time lately to check out posts so I'm playing catch up, I'll see ya on the next one!
A quiet Christmas is what we usually have and we don't feel like we're missing out on much to be honest. It's really just another day for us and we generally treat it as such. I'm glad you got to relax a little, just hang out with your son and cook. Sounds nice.