Sunday December 25 2022

It’s about 10:50 in the morning – waking up in my old bed as a boy when I visited my dad. He knocks on the bedroom door to wake me.

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Fiddling on the guitar in the living room that my dad bough many years ago just for me to use when I’m here.

 

We drive about an hour to Washington, NC to have Christmas dinner with my aunt Pansy and Peter. Their house is perfectly adorned with Christmas – her two little Pomeranians prance around – they’re very skittish.

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Enjoying a hearty meal at the nice dinner table with crystal glasses and candlelight. The homemade dinner rolls given from a neighbor are, in my opinion, the highlight.

 

 

Afterwards, helping Pansy clean up in the kitchen while dad and Peter chat about car wreck stories and sports.

 

Later on, back home.

 

My dad gets a phone call from an old military buddy of his. He tells me about how he used to be a crazy youngin’ back in the day. Him and his friend used to fly down 95 at 100 miles per hour sharing swigs of whiskey and chasing girls haha. I like hearing my dad talk about random memories from his past – really helps me humanize him and understand where I come from.

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We lounge in the living room and watch A Christmas Story Christmas, the sequel to the original back in 1983. I sleep off and on cause of how comfortable this couch is!

 

Late at night after dad resigns to bed early I catch up on things at the computer – continuing to lie on this abyss of a couch listening to this Ethiopian nun’s instrumental piano album while reflecting on all the heartfelt things that are missing this time of year. The music helps fill the strange silence of the Carolinian night. No jet noise. No interstate car sounds. No roommates.