It's hard to believe, but another Christmas has come and gone. This was the third one without Eddie, and each has been different. I expected the first one to be hard, hoped the second one would be a little easier, and didn't know what to expect this year. Of course I was right about the first year - it was a very difficult, emotional time. I didn't want to decorate, shop, bake, or do any of the things I had done in the past. I managed a scaled back version of all of these things because of Trey and Emily. If it hadn't been for them I probably would have skipped Christmas altogether. We had a lot of company on Christmas Eve that year which helped. Then Trey, Emily, Mama, and Daddy all spent the night. Emily had her Santa Claus Christmas morning, and that kept us all busy. As the day went on though everyone gradually left, and I spent Christmas night alone for the first time in my life. It was then that I gave in to a little period of self pity, which I think is okay as long as you don't do it too often or for too long.
I had read and heard from others that the second year after a loss is sometimes harder than the first, so I tried to prepare for that. I wouldn't say the second Christmas was any harder, but it wasn't easier either - it was just different. This time we were having Emily's Santa Claus and all of our company on Christmas day, so no one spent the night on Christmas Eve (though Mama did offer). Again I did something for the first time in my life - I woke up alone on Christmas morning. I know there are plenty of people who do that every year, but when it happens for the first time in 49 years it's a very lonely, empty feeling. Of course, once everyone arrived the rest of the day was very busy so there wasn't time for self pity, which was a good thing.
No one ever says anything about the third year after a loss, so I was on my own to find out what this Christmas would be like. I took it as a good sign that I wanted to decorate more than in the past two years, and I certainly didn't scale back my shopping this year! I also made a decision to do something special for Trey, which ended up helping me a great deal in the process. I put together a photo album of Eddie starting with our wedding day. I spent hours going through old pictures deciding which ones to include. This was the first time since his death that I had really looked at pictures of him (other than the ones around the house), and I actually found myself smiling and even laughing at some of the memories. I didn't want the album to be depressing for Trey, so I wrote a lot of funny captions and added some silly stickers to the pictures. Once I finished, I looked at the album from beginning to end several times before I wrapped it. The memories brought tears to my eyes but made me feel good at the same time. I gave the album to Trey on Christmas Eve while Eddie's dad was here so they could look at it together. Of course it made them cry, but they also shared some laughter, which I think was good for both of them.
The big difference in this Christmas was that we spent Christmas morning at Trey's house. Another first for me since we'd had Christmas at our house from the time Trey was born 27 years ago. It was a good change though because it gave us the chance to start making new memories in a new place. Sometimes traditions need to be changed after a loss, and I think it made Trey proud to have us in his home Christmas morning. There was a lot to be thankful for with my 96 year old grandmother, my mother, my father, Trey, and Emily all there - five generations together at the same time isn't something that many people get to experience. I know these are new, happy Christmas memories that we will all cherish for the rest of our lives.
"Every day we live is a priceless gift of God, loaded with possibilities to learn something new, to gain fresh insights." Dale Evans Rogers
"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 112:24
"Today is unique. It has never occurred before and it will never be repeated. At midnight it will end, quietly, suddenly, totally. Forever. But the hours between now and then are opportunities with eternal possibilities." Charles Swindoll
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