Citizen Bare

Last night we got together for the Gratton family Christmas at my Aunt Terri and Uncle Matt’s house. It was a great to spend time with the aunts, uncles, and cousins. We got to watch a video that uncle Matt created as a year in review, play some music, and do a gift exchange. This year the gift exchange was different than previous years…instead of picking a name from the hat and purchasing a gift for a specific person, we all purchased $20 gift cards or certificates and did a Yankee Exchange/Chinese Auction. It was all good because our get together is never really about the gifts, it’s more about getting together…but this exchange made it seem even more about getting together rather than about gifts. There is a part of me that thinks it would be just as good not to exhange at all; not because I’m cheap, but because I feel like that was the part of the night that everybody cared the least about.



The part of the night that stands out the most personally was receiving a gift from my grandmother. There was a part of me that felt guilty at first because I heard a few of my cousins comment on how grandma gave me a gift and they hadn’t received anything at that point. But after I opened the gift I didn’t feel guilty anymore. I felt honored to receive a double picture frame that contained a picture of my grandmother and me when I was somewhere between 12 and 24 months, and a picture of my grandfather and I when I was about 4 or 5 years old. It definitely brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. Just a little while earlier that night, I had been reminiscing with dad and uncle Gary about grandpa. We even played his favorite song; Boquet of Roses.



As far as I was concerned it was a great night. My kids had a great time, I had a great time, I got to know one of my cousins from Connecticut a little better, and I got to talk with Lindsey (I think that’s how spell her name) about playing a song for her and my cousin Tyler’s wedding. I wish Jason would have been feeling better though. It would have been nice to rap with him a little more.



Peace



- JAG