...having sort of lost count with all the reminiscing I am not sure what number this one should be in the listing. But since it is a 'remembrance' of the one that has not actually happened yet, guess it doesn't really matter anyway? It's the story/explanation of how we came to be the people who are traveling for the holiday.
You likely read or heard at some point that we went up to Decatur for lunch on Thanksgiving, and are planning to be in TN for Christmas day. For several years F. in Decatur has invited various and sundry to come for lunch on Easter as well. An interesting assortment of friends and family always show up, bringing potluck dishes to add to the meal.
For the past couple of years, we have traveled to TN to spend the night and day on Christmas. Due mostly to demands of employment with those folks living up there. The same was pretty much expected for this holiday, even though scheduling can change on short notice. P. in TN sent her dad an invitation, probably a text message, as an opportunity to return this year to share the joy of the season with those sweet people in TN.
When the guy here got that message, he asked me: "What happened to kids coming home for the holidays?" I said: "You are asking the wrong person." Which was understandably pretty annoying. And was actually not the best answer. Which has since occurred to me, and I shared with several people who have heard this story.
So I want to tell it to a wider audience now:
What happened is that they ARE home. They have bought a house, have employment, friends, a busy life where they are putting down roots. So they are at home, right where they are, either in Decatur or Chattanooga. What the message you got and failed to provide an answer for really means is 'we want you to come and share the joy of the holiday with us in our home'."
Otherwise we would not see those people at all over the holidays. With wretched work schedules and people who are working under less than desirable circumstances, they would not have the freedom to travel and spend time with those they care about.
Which brings up the real, actual, true fact of TIME: spend it with those you most want to be with. Invest wisely. Don't squander it. Chasing around, madly devoting your limited Time to superficial stuff. If it can be bought with $$$, it's all 'stuff'. And not a good investment of either your Time or the effort it takes to get to the place where they exchange the $$$ for something tangible. We are only here for a limited time: years, days, hours. Think about how you want to spend yours... fighting crowds in retail, dealing with tired surly cashiers, or with family and beloved friends?
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