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Editor's column: Cherish the holidays with family, friends

By Heather Meier/of The Herald

As a child, I would hang over the back of the living room couch and peer out the front window, anxiously waiting for the hustle and bustle of my arriving family on Christmas day.

They are loud and happy and quickly filled all the rooms of my small family home. Presents were piled under the tree and food crowded the counters.

The dining room table wasn’t big enough to fit all of us, but my parents, aunts and uncles squeezed in there. I got my cousins all to myself in the den, where I had spent close to an hour earlier in the day decorating the table just for the five of us.

That meal was better than any present I could get. My oldest cousin left for college when I was only 4 and then moved to California. By the time I was 11, his younger brother had also moved away for school. Christmas was the one time each year I could count on seeing them and aside from those few minutes in the den, their attention was split among relatives. My two little cousins, 7 and 10 years younger than me and more like brothers, clamored to sit on either side of me.

Amidst all the chaos, I would hide away for a moment for a silent thank-you for once again bringing everyone I love under one roof.

I’m still thankful each year as Christmas rolls around.

That wide-eyed innocence of my youth has faded and I know now of the tensions that ripple under the surface of even the closest families. I don’t wait by the door or vie for my cousins’ attention. I don’t quiver for days in anticipation of all the aunts, uncles and cousins soon to fill my parents’ home.

When the door opens, though, and everyone starts talking at once, I’m flooded with the same warmth I experienced as a child.

This year I’m especially cognizant of the importance of family.

Last week I attended the memorial service for the father of one of my dear friends. We graduated from high school together and I was one of her bridesmaids when she married in March. I’ve known her father since I was 14.

In June, I attended the funeral service for another friend’s father. Our families lived in the same community in Germany and we spent a lot of time together. He was always quick with a hug and I always felt close to him.

Their family celebrations will never be complete again. I have no doubt they would tolerate any of the typical holiday complaints that go hand-and-hand with family gatherings if only they could have one more Christmas with their fathers.

I ache for them and wish I were capable of filling that void.

What I can do, though, is cherish every moment I get to spend with my family under one same roof.

Reach Editor Heather Meier at 253-841-2481 ext. 310 or by e-mail at heather.meier@puyallupherald.com