I remember the first time I went up to Tyler’s family’s house in the little town of Venosta, Quebec. A bit unsure, seeing all of these faces at once, trying to remember who was who, but I was welcomed warmly into the bubble of happiness, love and support, everyone smiling, laughing and talking, offering food, asking questions, and the day segued into a trip to the little church, a hearty meal, gift exchange and the opening of gag gifts, music around the living room, and games into the night amid more snacks and booze.
Yesterday, as it does every year, went along the same lines. Armed with my potato casserole and some sweet treats, we packed up the car with gifts and the accordion, and made the scenic drive up the line. It’s a nice drive anytime, winding roads up into the country, but yesterday was particularly gorgeous. The recent snowfall had painted every last delicate branch of each tree white, and the pure beauty flanked us on both sides of the road, making way to cliffs of rock covered in ice floes. Then rounding the bend to see an inky black lake shimmering on the right, the moon becoming a faint glimmer in the pale grey sky.
We arrived in time to unpack, open a few gifts, and have dinner before heading to the little white church for the Christmas mass. The mass was nice, and the music filled the church, Christmas songs floating from the rafters and voices raised together in song, before we headed back home for more catching up with family, pouring drinks and then opening gifts. The gag gift game is always a hit – we try to put in funny presents that’ll get a good reaction. Tyler actually ended up stealing one of the gifts we had put in: a giant Miss Piggy head pillow that Herman had been eyed longingly before we wrapped it.
The evening melted away into a pleasant blur of song and laughter, and we ended up around the kitchen table telling stories. This is the best part of Christmas for me: between all the food prep, trappings of wrapping paper and gifts and rushing around to make it everywhere, I love just sitting back and letting the good-spirited banter wash over me, feeling affection towards my in-laws and wonderful family, listening to and telling tales that become part of our family lore and remembering that the holidays are about exactly this.
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