[Prudence]

Both my dad's parents died in December - conveniently timed so that the funeral would be during the first blizzard of the year. We are nothing if not a thoughtful lot.

It's hard sometimes, because so many of our existing traditions (like specific ornaments or holiday foods) or memories (they used to send a big box o' cow every Christmas, and my grandfather's birthday was Christmas day).

However, as years have gone on, and the pain isn't as sharp, Christmas is a time I always remember them, and what a profound influence they had on my life. Ryan got to meet my grandmother a few months before she died, and I'm so grateful for that.

Heck, whenever I play a Christmas carol on the piano I remember how much my Grandma Edith enjoyed when I used to make her tapes of those carols to send to her, and how much she loved those silly tapes.

Bittersweet, but good memories, and an annual trigger.