The ghosts of Christmas past.....

We are now a grand total of 15 days before Christmas. Now mind you the barrage of shopping reminders that fill of all the stores, ads on television, radio and internet (especially the annoying pop up variety.)
This year I can't but help think about this time last year, when I was discussing Christmas past with my cousin Chris. Through a few email correspondence and a few scanned email photos, there was a rather sweet article written about the hilarity of Christmas past. My grandparents, prior to retiring to the U.P.) used to have Christmas Day at their house on Anglin street in Detroit. About my Grandma's jello molds, the big tree lights that my grandpa used to put on the tree, (the type that should be on the outside of the house.) and how the four of us grand kids would unscrew the bulbs and rearrange them on the tree so the colors were all in sequence. We did it to drive grandpa crazy, he would have to mix them up again. How we would sit on the end of the bed and entertain each other by singing songs and putting on shows in the bedroom mirror. Unbeknownst to many, my cousin and I often chatted via email in regards to life and sports and the articles that he was writing. As I sit here writing this tonight it's with a sense of sadness and loss. By now some crazy holiday edition of "Understanding Ogryski" would have been published and I, like many of his faithful readers, know that there will not be one this Christmas. We lost him this year and let's be honest, 35 years on this corporeal plane isn't enough. I came across that last December article and had to laugh at the photo of he and his sister Heather at ages 2 and probably 9 months, as she had him in what we called the "headlock of love," and the photos of the four of us kids, sitting on the sofa in Detroit and then later at my aunt's house in Sterling Heights.
I have to say that I have missed my December conversations this year, the great debates on sporting events and on how kids should see the holidays. I miss the very intelligent journalist that wrote with wit and from the heart. So, dear bloggers, I would ask you to keep this in mind this holiday season. Take a look at those around you, the ones that you hold near and dear to your hearts, then take a look at those who absolutely drive you up the wall. Take a moment and be thank full for the lessons that each and everyone of them have to teach us all. Dear Cousin, thank you for all of your wonderful articles, the hilarious debates and tributes to sports and to family, and know that they are missed and so are you.

In loving memory of Christopher March 14th, 1975- January 28th, 2010.