Day 358. Dash away, dash away, dash away all. (24/12/13)

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse'

There was a time, and not so long ago,  that I could recite that entire poem by heart, it was a favourite bedtime read when Matty was younger; a favourite to the point that reading it would be necessary in the middle of summer. The subject matter was unimportant, Matt just enjoyed the way that it sounded.

He's 13 now and bedtime stories are gone, replaced by the struggle to remove him from GTA online in order to get him to actually go to bed.

A tradition gone.

We're watching Finding Nemo which had just started as Tom and I arrived home from work and Tom has pointed out that it feels weird not watching Elf on Christmas Eve. I pointed out that I've never actually seen Elf, Tom answered 'you're usually at work'. This year he was working with me/for me. He too has grown up, something has been left behind.

We didn't go to mass tonight. We always go to mass on Christmas Eve. J takes the kids and I meet up with them after work. But the kids aren't kids anymore; there wasn't even a discussion about whether we were going this year, it just didn't happen. It's a tradition and it's gone.

The tradition before that was that J and I always visited my nan on Christmas Eve. She's been gone for 13 years now and it still feels slightly odd not driving out to see her.

But traditions change, life changes, everything moves on and new routines appear to replace the old. The lads will develop the traditions that will fill their Christmas Eves and pass them on to their children, changing them slightly as they do, setting the routines that will fill their lives and the people that will matter to them.

So tonight and tomorrow, without sounding too maudlin take a second to remember those that we wish were still with us, recall the times that have passed and treasure the fact that we had them.

"Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night."

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