| The image of Christmas in most people's minds is that | | | | son and I would begin creating our own Christmas |
| of the entire family congregating at the family | | | | tradition by taking a journey together over the |
| homestead and enjoying Christmas at home, a fire in | | | | Christmas holiday. That one journey spawned the next |
| the fireplace, a Christmas tree with all the family | | | | one, and the next one. And now? Well, it's tradition, and |
| ornaments, and perfectly-wrapped presents tucked | | | | it's been that way for 11 years. |
| beneath. That's the way it's always been and that's | | | | Did my son miss his tree and toys at home that first |
| the way it always will be. It's tradition. And, you don't | | | | outing? Actually, he didn't. Although I did give him a |
| break tradition, right? Right? | | | | couple small packages to open, he felt special helping |
| Actually, for the past 11 years my son and I have | | | | us create our own Christmas traditions. |
| altered from that routine. We leave the comforts of | | | | Of course, I also benefit from this new tradition. I have |
| home for parts unknown and travel over Christmas. | | | | memories of my son that will last my entire life. I |
| We don't see it as breaking tradition, but, rather, | | | | remember one of our early Christmases staying on |
| creating new traditions, and, in the process, creating | | | | Coronado Island near San Diego. My son thought it |
| memories to last our entire lives. | | | | was pretty cool that on Christmas day we were |
| I noticed a curious thing one Christmas when my son | | | | having Christmas dinner at the Hotel del Coronado. It |
| was about 8 years old. All those toys I so painstakingly | | | | was one of my favorite Christmas dinners, and no |
| searched for, ordered from catalogs, stood in line at | | | | cleanup! |
| the post office to receive, wrapped and distributed | | | | Strolling along the beach in Coronado was also the |
| under the tree were opened, played with and | | | | place he shared with me what he wanted to be when |
| forgotten about within a day. Christmas, it seems, had | | | | he grew up - a circus performer. He tried to imitate the |
| become a one-day wonder, much anticipated and | | | | acrobatic moves he'd seen and landed hard on the |
| quickly forgotten. | | | | sand. I could tell his pride was bruised, so I didn't say a |
| I began to think back on my own family traditions | | | | word, just held out my hand to him to let him know I'd |
| growing up. What did I remember most? To be honest, | | | | always have his back. |
| toys weren't the highest things on my list. Oh, sure, | | | | Well, 11 years later, he's now a student at |
| there was the occasional doll or stuffed animal, but I | | | | l'École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal, Canada. |
| can't honestly remember which Christmas I received | | | | That's right, a circus school. One of the best circus |
| which gifts. What really stuck out in my mind, though, | | | | schools I might add. And, last Christmas, on our ski |
| were the times my mother would take my brothers, | | | | vacation to Vancouver, I took a hard tumble onto the |
| sister and me to a local park, where we would enjoy | | | | snow during one of my ski lessons. And, though he |
| the "picnic breakfast" she had packed of powdered | | | | could tell my pride was bruised, he didn't say a word, |
| donuts and little individual boxes of cereal. We were a | | | | but just held out his hand to me to let me know he'd |
| poor family, so those little cereal boxes were a big | | | | always have my back too. |
| deal to us. But, what was an even bigger deal was my | | | | So, would I go back and change anything about our |
| mother setting aside time just for us. | | | | Christmases together? With memories like those, not a |
| That's when I realized that the best gift I could give my | | | | chance. |
| son was me. My time. My attention. I decided that my | | | | |
