The Other Big "C" Word

Perhaps I'm more retrospective as I'm not your average healthy American.  But with each passing year I become more and more appreciative of the other big "C" word.  

This year, my thoughts turned to years way way past.  How as a child, I would lay awake all night long anticipating the coming of morning.  Vaguely I could here the grown ups having their celebrations farther down the hall and out in the living room.  The bedroom of my grandparents house that my brother and I were exiled to seemed cavernous but at the same time stood no chance of oppressing our enthusiastic anticipation of the coming morn.

The smell of cigarette smoke, this was an era when you were imprisoned if you didn't smoke, drifted into our room.  Grown up voices became a little louder as the evening got happier.  Soon, my brother and I eyes could no longer stand guard and we drifted off to sleep  to awake in the morning with a level of energy that can't be achieved on just a few hours sleep.

I've also found myself hoping that not only I, but my family and friends, hell everyone experienced the same anticipation.  Experienced all the family antics around the dinner table, sober, drunk or otherwise.  Hoping they were able to experience sitting in an island of quiet over by the planter watching the rest of the family laugh, hug, nap, sulk and pout.  Phone calls of festive greetings from family far away and friends nearby.

Sure there were years, like this one and some before, where everything wasn't perfect or even half way OK with one or the other of us.  But, still, the spirit of the day seemed to at least white wash those imperfections if not temporarily erase them.  What choice does one have?  Drag everyone down to drown in your woe is me?  Or, post pone the woe is me for a couple of days?

Today and tomorrow I make a decision.  Let the big "C" [Effing Evil Empire] kick my ass.  Make me miserable.  Pull everyone else down with me.  Or, embrace the other big "C" that is Christmas Day and every great feeling that goes with that big "C'.

I'm choosing the big "C" that is Christmas and screw you big "C" that is cancer...for the next couple days you are lower case "c".

Merry Christmas to all.

Talk to you later.