the older i get, the more i become like my parents. my mom’s qualities usually materialize in the shape of a distaste for crumbs and an appreciation for life’s smaller joys (i refuse to let a rose go un-smelled), while my dad’s presence is within me most at this time of year. dad passed away far earlier than any of us would expect, but when he was still with us, he often told the rest of my family that christmas had become too commercial and that we were accumulating way too much “stuff”. as a teenage girl, this was the most preposterous message i had ever heard, but the farther i wade into the world of adulthood, the more like i agree with my dad’s message. ironically, it took his absence for us all to agree with his holiday minimalism. this year i intend to carry my father’s torch.
later this month, my mother, brothers and i will be spending the holiday at our cabin on the west coast, where our good fortune includes a patch of forest, a rocky stretch of shoreline, and wonderfully eclectic, resourceful, and kind neighbours. instead of spending the weeks leading up to the break scouring the malls, i’ll be challenging myself to come up with free (or very inexpensive) and heartfelt gifts for my family.
