The sun shines through my window to wake a gently sleeping me on the most exhilarating  day of the year, Christmas Eve!  Even though it may get a bad rap from its older brother Christmas Day, Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year.  This day is so special to me because it’s the day that my whole family gets together for a holiday celebration at my grandma’s house. We all have an extravagant time, hanging out, and eating dinner. As I wake up I am excited for the day ahead of me, like a sheepish dog excited for water on a hot day. There are wonderful memories shared by our family every year.  One specific moment that always stood out to me was the first year my niece passed out presents to the family, and that smile she wore while acting like a Santa’s helper.

I go upstairs ready to eat some breakfast. While trotting up the stairs I am greeted by the calming and familiar classical Christmas Frank Sinatra album playing through our outdated CD player. Filled with glee I eat my breakfast and ready myself for the trip to grandma’s house. Excitement brimming inside of me all the way to the roof, ready to see some of my family for the first time in months. New stories to share and memories to be made, all await at the destination we are traveling to.

When we finally arrive at my Grandma’s house, I notice the snow covered lawn for the first time this year. The white picket fence topped with snow glowing from the sunlight. Finally I see the plowed sidewalk leading to the eggshell white door surrounded by brick. The methodically falling snowflakes that land on banks of shimmering white put a huge smile on any kid's face. Grandma greets us at the front door with her predictable huge smile.
Stepping inside, I am engulfed in a different world. The smell of the peppermint candle assaults my nostrils in a charming way, like the sweet tang of butterbeer. The large fake christmas tree surrounded by peculiar shaped presents and covered in lights towered over as I walked into the cozily warm one floor ranch my grandparents live in. Walking in is like being wrapped in a warm blanket and given hot cocoa after a long day in the cold, it’s like being hugged by a sweatered friend. The faint sound of Christmas classics being played over the TV speaker is accompanied by the chatter coming from close family members.

Following my arrival I inspect the snacks that are laid out for the guests. A generic cheese and crackers platter that does everything right but never jumps out at you. Then the new contender is a spicy jelly cream cheese dip the sweet tang toned down by the cream cheese and the spicy aftertaste that will make your mouth water.

Then showing up his usual one hour late is my big brother and his wife along with my niece and they all have huge sheepish smiles walking through the door. This means we are ready to open our presents from each other. The small things that mean so much to each other that we will use or remember for a lifetime. As my Grandpa opened his gift and saw what was held inside he began to get emotional because of how much it meant to him.

     “Mary it’s beautiful and  I love it,” my Grandfather Tom exclaimed.

      “I’m glad you like it because I spent quite some time making it,” my Grandmother Mary replied.

What lay inside was a handmade quilt that will be in the family for decades to come. This present was the talking point for the rest of the night. One of the stand out moments from those conversations was when my mom approached me and commented,

     “Luke thank you for the blanket you made me last year.” 

     “No problem mom I am glad you liked the present. With Grandma’s watchful eye I put a lot of time and hard work into it.”  I reassured her. 

     “Your welcome”  my mom replied with a smile and quick hug.

Following our present opening festivities we have dinner to look forward to. Honeybaked ham is the main staple of our family Christmas dinner. Mmm the sweet and savory combination I look forward to every year. The meal that I keep coming back for. Together with the cheesy mashed potatoes my Grandma makes every year that our family has come to love, to cherish, to crave.

After dinner we are treated to our family story telling hour. I somehow manage to doze off during this time and wake up not long before it is time to leave. As the night winds down and parts of the family start leaving I walk outside to see my Aunt off. But that’s when I see the most beautiful sight I have seen in my life. As the snow is briskly falling down and the wild whisking wind is beating against me I notice the orangeish glow of the streetlights shining on a snow tornado. The wind was swirling the falling snow in the night sky only visible by the stars in the sky and the glow of the streetlights around us. This is the moment I realized how much I care about my family and that this day is really important to me.  Previously I loved Christmas Eve but I wasn’t able to put into words exactly why. I now knew that being together with the people I love is the reason I love the day so much. But in this moment I felt very sad because these cherished moments would have to wait another year before happening again. I now look forward to these moments in my life and don’t pass up opportunities to see my family while I still have the ability to. Finally after our long excursion we get in our heated car and drive home to where I will restlessly sleep for the night waiting for in my mind the lesser of the holidays, Christmas Day.