And to all a Goodnight

'Twas finally Christmas day, and all through the house, all creatures were quiet, even the mice. The lights were turned off bar the twinkling Christmas tree that stood tall in the family room, topped delicately with one dancing ballerina pig that had come to replace the original angel tree topper. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, awaiting Saint Nick to fill them with candy and Christmas flair. The family in pajamas is cuddled on the couch waiting, while the cold air whistles and blows outside playing, for Grandma to call and begin one long-standing family tradition.

The phone rings and pierces through the quiet house. The phone call we have been waiting for to kick off Christmas has arrived!

"Hi, Grandma!" My sisters and I all shout in unison, excited and anticipating what is to come.

"Hello, girls," our grandmother replies cheerily. "I have left your cookies and gifts with Linda."

"Thank you, Grandma!" We all reply, once again in strict unison with each other.

"Why, you're very welcome. Are you ready?" Grandma asks us.

"Yes!" We all shout in glee with smiles across our faces.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

On Christmas Eve, my family and I would attend Midnight Mass with my Grandma Witt and her family every year, even though we were not Catholic. The service started at 11 PM and finished with the choir singing a gorgeous rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus at exactly midnight on Christmas day. We would then exchange pleasantries in the church's parking lot and make our way to our respective homes. The magic didn't end there. When we got home, we would change out of our church clothes and into comfortable pajamas, sit on the couch, and await Grandma's call. When she got home, she made it a point to call all of the grandkids and read them "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" before they went to bed. She would also send us home with her freshly baked Christmas cookies and a Christmas ornament that she selected for each of us. We were not allowed to eat the cookies or open the gift until we got home on Christmas day and until after she read us our Christmas bedtime story; that was the deal. This was a difficult feat to accomplish because Grandma's cookies are heavenly, and no one can quite re-create Grandma's cookies. They never taste quite right unless they come from her.

The idea behind Grandma's Christmas ornament tradition was that she would get her grandkids an ornament every year. This way, when they grew up and had a house of their own, they would have a Christmas tree full of ornaments from over the years that meant something, and we were not starting from scratch. Christmas has been my favorite time of year and my favorite holiday since I can remember having a favorite anything. I have always been enamored by the lights, the music, the food, and the amount of love that I have experienced around Christmas. I was adopted, and people who were not blood like my Grandma Witt helped me understand and build beautiful family traditions that I hope to carry on and pass on to my future family. Every year I find myself buying ornaments for my family and for my friends for the same reason that my Grandma bought them for me, and every Christmas, I make sure to sit down and read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," it will always be my favorite bedtime story.