Home for the Holidays

Home for the holidays and returning home for the holidays are not the same thing. This year, we are not staying home for Christmas. Instead, we are returning home to where we grew up in Illinois to see family and friends. The DRIVE in winter can be a challenge, but we have done it so many times over the nearly 40 years we he have lived in Virginia, that our car is on autopilot.  

When Cath and I first married, we did not make it home to Illinois much for Christmas. Stationed in Germany for most of the ‘80s, we returned only 3 times in 10 years. Too expensive. Too much time. Too hard.

 In the ‘90s, while living in DC, we would make the trip to Illinois quite often. It usually worked out as Christmas Eve with Cathy’s mom and Christmas Day with my folks. One year on the way back from Illinois, we were two hours in front of a blizzard and they were shutting down the interstate behind us.  Cathy swore she would not make the trip to Illinois again, but of course the family beckoned.  

 In the late ‘90s, Cathy’s mom, Faye, moved from Illinois to Alabama and we started a three-year cycle – one year in Alabama, one year in Illinois, and one year at home in Virginia. If anyone wanted to visit our home for Christmas on that third year, they were more than welcome. Faye made it quite often, as did Cathy’s sisters, Bonnie and Cindy. My mom and dad stayed in Illinois where my sisters were both raising their families of three children each. It made sense – trying to transport kids and presents and everything else in wintertime just was not very smart. And mom and dad? I think the immense joy they felt watching their grandchildren at Christmas was a good reason to stay home.

Faye and my dad both passed away in 2010. We continued driving to Illinois for Christmas every couple of years, and then mom passed away in 2017. For the next seven years, we did not make it to Illinois for the holidays. There were trips home, and there were always calls and messages of Merry Christmas and “much love,” but we did not return home at Christmas time. We did make it to California a time or two to see Cath’s sister Bonnie and our niece Lana. Those were wonderful trips, but a bit different from returning to your childhood hometown for the holidays.

 Last year, after that seven-year hiatus, we returned for Christmas, staying at my sister Roberta’s home. We had a fun time seeing everyone. Friends, sisters, our brother-in-law, nieces and nephews, grand-nieces, and nephews and of course Carmen’s dog cousins ;-). Nights out, family dinners, visiting a couple of local watering holes, time on the couch. A week was too short. Of course all good things come to an end and we eventually drove home to Virginia.

We have talked off and on about what to do for Christmas this year. Bonnie and Lana have recently moved to New Zealand and while we plan to see them in 2026, there would be no visit for the holidays. 

 We kept talking about how much fun we had last year back home in Illinois. It was, as always on visits there, a bit of a whirlwind. A combination of taking part in all the family activities, while also standing outside of the events and watching the grand nieces and nephews enjoy the big day. In the end, it was a simple decision, and we let everyone know we were returning home again this year. We are pretty excited.

 As I post this, we are getting ready to leave our home in Virginia for the 13-hour drive. We could fly, but then we could not take Carmen, so drive it is. The northern route is faster, although there is always more traffic on it, and this time of year, a greater chance of snow and ice. No, we will go the southern route – Marshall to Morgantown to Pittsburgh to Columbus to Indianapolis to Normal, Il, and finally home to Ottawa. In our younger days, we often drove straight through. Now, we take our time and will stop for the night somewhere in Ohio and have dinner at a real restaurant.

 We’ll soon arrive home and the week-long whirlwind will begin anew. Christmas Eve with Tanya and her family. Christmas Day with Berta and her’s. Dinners out with friends. Maybe a trip to Berta’s Tap. Lunch at the Bears Den and one of their great Sausage sandwiches. With luck, a Sam’s pizza. There will be a lot of eating and drinking for the week. The time will fill quickly with love and laughter. We would not have it any other way. 

Merry Christmas to all. Whether staying home, or going home, we wish you a safe holiday season full of peace, love, and good cheer. God bless us each and every one.