The great American holiday juggling act is underway, as weekend visits are being made to bring families together.
My wife’s family Christmas was held last weekend in Gays Mills. Members of the family drove from Iowa, Madison and our area to get together for a couple of days.
When my wife and I arrived, my oldest grandniece and grandnephew were playing in the snow. So, before I got in the door, I was in a snowball fight, made snow angels, played tag and tossed kids into the air.
My wife’s family is at a point where the oldest cousins have started their families and we have two children who have just grown out of the toddler stage and we have two babies under a year old. Under one roof we have the patriarch and matriarch of the family, who are in their 70s, their children and spouses, who are in their late 40s and 50s, their children, who are in their early 30s to late teens, and then the littles, with the youngest baby just a few months old.
It’s a fantastic gathering that includes loads of seasonal food, beverages, music, games and discussions. When I went inside after fun in the snow, a cribbage game was underway on the table and a conversation was going on in the living room about politics. It reminds me of the same Christmases I had with my family back in the 1970s, when I was a pre-teen and I walked into my grandparents’ house in Lake Mills. We didn’t have a huge family, but I had seven first cousins and the house had about 20 people in it.
The upstairs of the house was for the kids, who could play hide-and-seek and other games through the three large bedrooms on that floor. Meanwhile, down at the dining room table, before or after a meal was served, any number of games were played by the adults. These games involved many different versions of cards, spoons, ring-on-a-string, or ancient ethnic German games that I’ve long since forgotten.
At our Christmas in Gays Mills the spread of food was set up for convenience. We didn’t have a sit-down meal, but instead crock pots of finger foods, soup, cheese, crackers, apples and fruit — and a platter of cookies, bars, fudge and other goodies.
I love the social aspect of the family Christmas. One of my favorite things to do is take photographs. It’s so easy to take photos and then post them to social media. It’s like you’re sharing your family Christmas with anyone who cares to look.
With my age, love of food and knowing that eating a full meal makes me tired, I always try to scope out a place where I can get away from everyone for a nap. All I need is a pillow and a spot on the floor to stretch out and I can let my stomach settle. This gets more important when I cap off a meal with home-made sweets. Last weekend I found two great napping spots and only got caught once by my grand-nephew, who decided to use my stomach as a stepping-stair until I chased him away.
My father-in-law and mother-in-law cherish family gatherings and “Mom” loves it when she’s holding a great-grandchild and is surrounded by the other littles. My father-in-law is a jokester and sharp with his political and sports commentary.
I recall the engaging political discussions in the Johnson family living room when I was growing up. My grandfather, father, uncles, aunts and oldest cousins, who did not hold the same politics, sometimes came near to bringing down the roof as they debated the issues of the day.
While we still talk about politics, the conversations are thankfully brief and less engaging. It’s important to know when to stop before pushing someone’s buttons too many times these days.
As my wife’s family’s demographics have gotten older, we’ve toned down gift-giving. We played a gift-giving game Saturday night in which we went around in a circle with each person rolling a die and then having one of six options to steal, exchange or swap gifts among others. That was fun, and, at the end we redistributed gifts so everyone had something to open and show.
I gathered up the tissue paper used to wrap a gift and called over my grand-nephew. I whispered in his ear, “Do you want to be a present?” He nodded and I started to stuff the tissue paper in the neck of his pajamas with so it draped all over him. I topped off his head with a ribbon from one of the boxes. When I was done, I told him, “OK, you’re a present!” He proceeded to run around the living room saying in his tiny child’s voice “I’m a present! I’m a present!”
When it comes to families, we are each other’s present. A family is such a blessing. It matters less about what’s under a Christmas tree than the people who are around it together.
Enjoy your family Christmases and holiday gatherings. Never skip a good snowball fight, cribbage game, family discussion, photo opportunity or even the chance to take a nap. It all adds up to memories of family love that last generations.
— Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
