As it is the holiday season, like all of us, I have been reflecting back to Radke family Christmas past and having some very fond memories. The last few years, with the loss of mom, the holiday (or holidays in general) kind of suck. But dad and I try to make the most of it. Mostly by eating food, and spoiling each other with gifts. It's kind of like if we buy each other gifts, then with all the shimmer of wrapping paper and bows we'll get back a little glimpse of when the three of us had the holiday together. Which is totally stupid. But I think it helps both of us during the holiday season to be out shopping with the general public and see smiles on everyone's faces... and even I, dislik-er of children, can't help but smile when I see their faces light up when looking and pointing at Santa... Until one of them craps their pants and starts crying...Anyway, I digress. This year while I know I'll miss mom like I always do, I am going to really focus on being present in the NOW. It's hard in general when you grow up to still hold onto the magic of Christmas. The thought of catching the fat man in the red suit on Christmas Eve, or being in the Christmas play at Church, (where every year you want to be the Virgin Mary, and without fail you always end up being one of the wise men because they are low on men and you have short hair...Sorry, again with the ramblings..) Or holiday parties at school, no longer hold the interest they once did. But to be present in the NOW, I need to reflect on Christmases past, and mostly, share with you a few stories of why my little family growing up, was much more like the Griswold's than any picturesque Hallmark card.
My parents made the decision that the three of us would stay put on all major holidays after one Thanksgiving gone terribly wrong. My parents living on the small farm by Rochester had turkey feasts to eat there, and also one to enjoy in the Twin Cities. That particular Turkey Day, was a raging blizzard. But they had a one year old that everyone wanted to see (Moi!) and they had to make sure to get to all the stops. After a day of two shortened meals, a drive that should have lasted an hour and a half or two hours max, turned into an 8+ hour adventure on unplowed roads, with a crying baby in the back seat., well they were nearly ready for the asylum. Once they were in the drive way, they looked at each other and vowed they would never spend another holiday on the road, no matter what the weather is, ever again. So began the Radke family tradition of just the three of us for every holiday.
Memory #1: My dad, for whatever reason, is the LOVER of all things Christmas. To my mother's dismay, I also took on his excitement for the holiday. So now, her low key holiday usually turned into some kind of a circus because the two of us would want to over decorate, gift, give, eat, sing, play family games, etc. She always acted like she was put out by it, but I knew it gave her great pleasure to see dad so excited. My dad isn't a man who is overly excited about anything. But for whatever reason, the lil' guy LOVES Christmas. One dreaded task (it wasn't for me because I just got to do the fun part) was the choosing of the family Christmas tree. I of course, wanted the tree immediately following Thanksgiving, not my mother. She was frugal, and wanted to usually wait until the week before Christmas to get the tree as they were 75% off. This also usually meant, the pick of trees was questionable, at best. One particular Christmas, we go pick out a tree, practically missing all needles on one side, tie it to the roof of car, dad comes home, cuts the tree to put it in the stand, and it's crooked. Severely. Curse words and expletives are exchanged between my parents, dad hauls the tree back out, cuts the trunk again, gets it back in, it's a little better..and mom is sick of it and says she'll just prop some magazines under it to even it out. Now, this is when it gets ugly. Dad, trying to be helpful says he'll get the water for the tree, and put some sugar in it, because the sugar is good for the real tree and will aid in the tree taking more water... (Imagine innocent little me, sorting through lights and ornaments, minding my own business) So he makes a real nice water/sugar mixture...more of a simple syrup than anything. Pours it in the stand, he and mom leave the room, I'm still rooting around in the bags trying to find the best ornaments...when I notice a small river slowly flowing out of the tree stand onto the carpet. Oh shit.. This is going to mean another blow up and it's not going to be very Christmasy!! I think for a minute if there's anything I can do without telling them...oh boy..a puddle is forming... "Mom? Dad?? Ummm... I think the tree stand is leaking!" Mom: "Are you shitting me?!" Dad: "Huh? Well now, how did that happen?" Me: "So should I just assume we're not decorating tonight?" Both: "Shut up Megan!" Me: "Alrighty, Merry Christmas...grumble grumble.."
Memory #2: We all have our most favorite gift we ever got. I remember mine very well: The original Nintendo. I wanted to play Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt, and I couldn't wait for it to be mine!! I didn't know if I would get it, but I wanted it more than anything in the entire world. I was in 2nd grade. There was one box that didn't fit under the tree that year... Now mind you, all presents from Santa were wrapped in special paper that no other gifts were wrapped in. So it was totally legit that it came from the North Pole. It was a HUGE box and it was propped up on the couch. I could barely sit still while going through my stocking. (Which mind you, is Radke Christmas etiquette. We get up, I get to open my stocking, then my parents dragged their feet and drank coffee and had caramel rolls, while I was peeing my pants planning my best plan of attack with the presents under the tree and which ones I was going to delve into first. This year, hands down it was the big box with Santa's paper. Finally the time came!! I got to open a present..and I went for it. The biggest box ever! And in it?! My Nintendo!! It was nearly a perfect Christmas until I noticed the Shopko price tag on it... "Mom, Dad?? Why is their a price tag from Shopko on here?" My parents panicked, but ever the geniuses, say: "Oh well, uhhh, you see, Santa was running a little behind, so we had to pick this up for him, and he just wrapped it when he got here!" Me: (In the glow of my new Nintendo and glow of Christmas morning) "Oh okay!" Got a few more Christmases with Santa thanks to that ol' cover up. Good work parentals :).
Memory #3: It is the first Christmas I am in college. I had just finished finals and all I want to do is sleep. I am having, what I think is probably some of the most sound sleep of my entire life, when in my dream I hear a man singing OBNOXIOUS Christmas carols. Slowly I start to realize...I'm not dreaming...wait..No! I'm waking up! No, the sleep is so good! I open one crusty eye to see my father standing at the edge of my bed singing: "Joy to the World!! The Savior Reigns!!..." Me: "What in the hell dad?! I am sleeping, I'm exhausted from finals!" (Because when you're 19, finals are the end of the world.) Dad: "Nope Star Shine time to get up! I need help getting gifts for your mother and you're the only one that can help me! Be ready for breakfast up town in 20 minutes and then we're headed to the mall!" He walked back down the stairs as I muttered, "What an annoying little Christmas Elf." Truth was, I loved it, and we had a really fun day together.
Memory #4: The early morning wake up. When you're little, it's hell to have to wait to wake your parents up on Christmas morning. I would do about 3 trips downstairs on Christmas Eve to pee, in the hopes of catching Santa or one of his elves dropping off the loot. No such luck. Finally, I saw my digital clock hit 5:54 and I couldn't wait any longer... I would fly down the stairs to my parents bedroom and stand there like a freaky child just seeing if they would wake up on their own accord. After giving it a solid 14 seconds... I would poke mom. (Why I went for her, I have no idea because she would always say to go back to sleep...) Me: "Hi Mom!" Mom: "Hi daughter." Me: "Guess what?! It's Christmas morning..and I think Santa came!" Mom: "Oh you think? Good news Meg, those presents aren't going any where, why don't you crawl in bed with us for a minute..." Me: (Sensing I could be losing my ground, head over to dad's side of the bed.) "Dad! Guess what?! It's Christmas!" Dad: Just gurgles and says something I can't quite understand...so I just poke him a little.. Seeing neither of them have my excitement I do what makes the most sense, I will not be ignored! I flipped on the light switch in their bedroom and shouted: "GET UP IT'S CHRISTMAS!!" I then scurried out to the living room, switched on every light, and started shouting about all the presents I would see. I would then here two pairs of feet hit the floor and mom say, "Well the day is young, we'll be able to nap later...I'll put the coffee on.."
Memory #5: My last favorite memory of holiday's past came a few years ago. I would say Einstein had been with us for about two years at that point. I woke up, stumbled downstairs around 10am (a smidge different from the early Megan Radke Christmases...) to the smell of coffee and something yummy in the oven...and then I hear a high pitched discussion happening with my dad and Einstein. I turn the corner to the living room, and wipe the sleep from my eyes to see my dad holding Einie and looking into his eyes, and Einie just looking back with his little three dot face of his. Dad is saying: "How's my buddy on this Christmas morning?! You know you're my buddy?! I love you! We love you so much! I don't know what we EVER did before you came to our house buddy. You make the holidays so special!"... I coughed loudly and said, "Ahh, dad? What about the last 26 years with me? Thought those holidays were kind of special.." Dad: "Yeah, Yeah, well now that you're up, get Einie's stocking for him and help him open it, he doesn't have thumbs you know! You have to help the little guy!" I just shook my head, and smiled. That little fur ball ran that house then, and does to this day.
Enjoy every, twisted minute you have with your family this holiday season. Dad, Einstein and I will be drinking coffee, eating good food, opening gifts, and being thankful that we have one another. Merry Christmas to all of my faithful readers. :)
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