JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Well, here were are, the holiday season is among us. How wonderful is that?
The holidays are such a fun time of the year, and even in Florida, surrounded by palm trees — it just feels like the holidays, like there’s something in the air. Oh wait, as I type this there is a Frost Advisory, so yeah, it’s COLD!
Have you gotten your shopping done?? NGL, I’ve ordered myself numerous things for Christmas, but everybody else is getting a prayer, a text, or a hug! HAHAHA! (they probably won’t find it as funny, so I really need to get online when I’m done with this and order ALL the gifts!)
📸 Share your story with us: Who are you missing this holiday season? Keep their memory alive by uploading a photo and description on SnapJAX under the Holidays Channel and Family Category
It’s so great because in North Carolina, I had a few white Christmases, and in Florida, it’s palm trees and sunshine! Both of which, are conditions I adore!
I spent the last two Christmases in New York, and I’ll write more about that next week, but this week I want to talk about something more specific. 🙂
On my radar this week is the fact that my sweet mom visits NEXT week (missing my Daddy-O, but somebody has to stay behind and work on the Family Charity — Project Santa — which I talked about in my last KiKi)!
I personally get so excited this time of year, because there are SOOO many things going on and I totally give myself full permission to “carry a little holiday weight until Jan. 1.” I make no apologies. (I actually think I’ve been carrying it since LAST January 1st!) #whatgives
I’m going to take today’s KiKi and share a lot about my Grandmothers with you! Within the last few years, both of my Grandmothers passed away.
Unfortunately, it happens, right? Like, people get old, they lived great lives, and it’s my belief they are hanging out in Heaven with their eggnog and probs the best choir around singing Christmas carols with Jesus himself!
If you’ve lost a loved one- maybe you will relate to this!
My very Southern and lovely grandmother and my very Southern and sweet Nana won’t be with me on Thanksgiving or Christmas this year in person as they haven’t in the last few years, but they’re with me in my heart!
Let’s start with my Nana!
When my Nana died that July, a few years ago, I remember the first thought that crossed my mind was, “What will Christmas be like?”
I had a hole in my heart each time I heard Christmas music for a long time, but now I feel an instant peace overwhelm me, and I just smile smile smile knowing she’s up there watching over me and celebrating too!
Oh my gosh, when you looked at Nana, you just saw Christ!
She was an incredible person, so giving and so selfless. I miss her more than I can put into words, but mostly I want to thank her for showing me what it means to be a true person of faith and to put others first. She didn’t live long enough to see me become a Meteorologist, but she was always very, very proud of my “D List” awful movies, so I like to think she would be proud of me today... I hope so, anyway!
I know every time I pray hello to her during the Holidays, she says, “I’m partying upstairs; you have fun down there! Tell everyone I love them. See you soon!”
A few holiday memories come to mind when I think of earlier years when the whole family was together. Memories that leave me laughing until I can’t breathe.
See, we Garners spent every Christmas working on Project Santa and then going to Nana’s on Christmas Day. It was a whole lotta family spending a whole lotta time together! I just loved it!
Two things you need to know before I share my first memory — my family and I are very close, and I love, love, love family heirlooms.
One Christmas Day a few years ago, we were ripping into gifts, and my dad handed me a letter and a box. I was beaming, and had no idea what it was! My dad writes the sweetest letters, so I opened the box first and it was a beautiful gold tennis bracelet. I then opened the letter, jaw on the ground, and my dad wrote me the most beautiful note and told me that it was Nana’s tennis bracelet, and she would have wanted me to have it. I immediately lost it and bawled and bawled happy tears. I keep his letter in my center console so it’s always with me! I’ll never ever forget opening that letter. I love my parents so much, and the fact that they always take the time to write us letters, and are thoughtful in giving me something like that. I’ll treasure it forever!
Ok, another memory!
I’ll never forget Christmas ‘09. We were all in Nana’s sunroom opening gifts, but apparently there just wasn’t enough ambiance in the room.
Nana decided to light a candle, which then lit the gift wrap on fire, and then the tablecloth. You get the idea… a minor house fire broke out. FOR SHAME, her expensive tablecloth was up in flames! Whatever – there was ambiance, and that’s what mattered.
Also, in Christmas ‘98, when all of my cousins and I were in Nana’s kitchen waiting for breakfast on Dec. 26. Nana quickly realized that she was out of milk, but her grandchildren wanted pancakes, and so without raising an eyebrow, she poured some eggnog right into that pancake mix. BAM – we had pancakes… and so much more. 😉
Christmas each year was so much fun when I would go to Nana’s for lunch.
She would always say, “Katie Belle, let’s decorate the tree.” Then she promptly picked up her cell phone, made a call, and boom, there was a crew there to decorate the tree, as we watched with our cookies, and home videos in the background. We played board games, and watched as the tree was decorated before our eyes!
By the way, the home videos have me wishing I was blind! I CANNOT with my childhood hairstyles. The “Dorthy Hammel bob cut” should have been a crime, honestly! That was really a travesty!
I’ll never forget Christmas during the last year we had Nana at her actual house, the carolers from First Baptist Church always came to sing for the neighborhood. They arrived at Nana’s just as I arrived to take a break from Project Santa. “Nana, the carolers are here!” I said, and she responded by opening the front door, donating some cookies and cash, and then we got right back to our game of Rummicube with our glass of eggnog on the sun porch, listening to the carolers in the background!
I’ll never forget the Christmas of ‘98. My sister and I were the only girls in the family at the time. My Nana buys all of the gifts, and most years did an incredible job, but this year was just embarrassing! OMG, I still can’t! So embarrassing that I have yet to live it down! Let me start by saying that my sister was a mere four years old, and I was all of 10 years old. All of the cousins opened gifts together. The five boys got trucks, Legos, footballs — fun things.
Me, oh no, I got a training bra...in front of EVERYONE! I have yet to live that down and didn’t use the bra for another five years. Glad I had a head start. (Not!)
Yeah, I miss Nana. I can’t even breathe sometimes when her face comes to mind. I found myself for about a year after she died calling her at least once a week just to hear her voice on the machine. I remember I left a message about three months after she died by accident: “Just calling to say I love you, Nana. See you in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.”
Nana was the one person I could say anything to. We have spent hours on her porch talking about anything. She was a great listener.
Now to my late Grandmother!
One thing my Grandmother taught me — and also something Mother Teresa taught the rest of the world — “Don’t ever let anyone come to you without leaving happier.” The happier you are, it makes others want to be happy too. My Grandmother always taught me to be very happy, and in all circumstances, remain kind.
Oh my gosh, my Grandmother, what a Southern Belle! She was ALWAYS so happy to see any and all of us! I love love loved her! Fun fact, she looked like Grace Kelly when she was my age. I’m slightly jealous, LOL!
One Christmas — err or maybe it was like the week before — we were meeting my aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandmother at her church. She LOVED when we would go to Church together, all of us Presbyterians, and her Church was SO pretty!
Look, I mean, I drove separately because I was coming in from college and I remember I was totally late because I stopped for Krispy Kreme AND Bojangles on the way...because a girl needs her snacks before Church, that Communion wafer isn’t enough! Anyways so I walked in, they always sat close to the front, sat down and saw NONE of my family. I stayed through the 1st Hymn and heard the Pastor welcome us to the Baptist Church! I was like OMG, I’m in the wrong Church! They sit side by side and look EXACTLY alike.
I walked out, awkward, as I am, and found my way into the right church! My mom and dad were like, “Hello, we’ve been waiting”...well here I am, barreling in, and my sweet Grandmother laughed and laughed- I always loved her laugh!
Oh, Christmas Day at her house, we always had a tradition of “the GOAT”! Whoever in the family had the craziest or funniest thing happen to them that year got the GOAT! You have no idea when you’re getting it, and you have to keep it for the whole year! I LOVE that tradition! Ironically, my life is a hot mess but I’ve never gotten the “GOAT!”
I’m so very lucky I had so many wonderful years with my Grandmother and my Nana! These memories will last forever.
Much like calling my Nana’s phone to hear her voicemail —I keep my Grandmother’s Bible in my car. I feel, especially during the Holiday season, like she’s always with me (and LORD knows I need some type of prayer anytime I’m driving — I’m not the best driver!)
Here are a few things I try to remember every day that remind me of why my Grandmother and my Nana were two of the most beautiful Southern Belles I have ever known. The life lessons that I took from them live on with me every day!
- Don’t think for one second about judging others; instead, pray for them. In the good and the bad, pray for them. Remember that everyone is fighting a battle or even just a bad hour of the day. Pray for them, smile at them, and wish them a beautiful day.
- Don’t spend one second being negative about things that don’t matter; that’s one second of life completely wasted. Let it go, and give it to God.
- Remember that every time you smile, or laugh, it makes someone else’s dreams come true. It’s inspiring and it makes other people happy, too.
- This life is all about what you can do for others. Live to make others happy, to make others smile, to make others feel that they can be better happier and kinder. This life isn’t about us anyway.
- Always, always be the type of person you would want to meet. We are all brothers and sisters in this crazy world. We need to have each other’s backs. We need to not talk about each other, but instead be there to build each other up and make each other laugh.
- “I am sorry” — three of the most powerful words in any language. Say them often, and genuinely mean them.
- People come and people go; we get one chance to make it count. When you meet someone, it’s for a reason. People come into your lives for long periods, seasons of time, or maybe for even just a day- but if someone new comes into your life- they were brought there for a reason.
- Don’t let anyone dim your light! If people are mean, they are most likely unhappy. Do not sink to that level; instead, be kind to them. Do not question yourself.
And the most important thing to remember that I learned from my Grandmother and Nana: If you’re living and you’re breathing, you’re totally blessed. You are loved. Most importantly, you are here.
So make a difference, and celebrate everything, every day!
I will continue to put the values, and traditions they both left me with to work this Christmas and every Christmas for the rest of my life.
If you’ve lost a loved one, I think the best thing you can do is take every good memory they left you with and put it to use. That way, they live on within you, forever. It’s a beautiful thing. So again, I love you Grandmother and Nana, “see” you in a few weeks as we remember you throughout this holiday season!
I hope if you’ve lost a loved one, you remember them in your holiday traditions. Life is short but so sweet. Enjoy this season!
XOXO,
Katie