I wrote a
Christmas letter this year, but the computer decided to eat the document when
it got shut down. I couldn’t muster up
the holiday strength needed to re-write the thing and I didn’t send one
out. It was a small absence, it seemed,
and one that most of my received Christmas cards seem to share. Christmas letters have gone by the wayside – perhaps
to join the other old-fashioned means of communication a la the telegram, the
answering machine, and anything in general of needing a stamp to be replaced by
the immediate updates on social media.
As I was
putting the annual Santa photo into the Christmas binder – this year each child
adorned not in red and green, but proudly displaying their individual alma
maters - I was struck by the emptiness of the 2015 entry with its lack of
letter. So here I sit, on the eve of
2016, composing some highlights of this current – for a few more hours – year. Like many wise editors, I have outsourced some
of the work. And I find it quite a
reflection of the current times in how my children have chosen to respond to my
request for their list of 2015.
This review started,
unknowingly, with Colin and his post
to Facebook this morning. Colin still
uses Facebook. He turned 21 this year –
and is just old enough in his generation to still use this media platform. Or perhaps it is due to his busy schedule and
general lack of desire to learn and use another social digital outlet. He shared that he is the president of Tau
Beta Pi, engineering honor society at CPP and is working on his Senior Project
in Mechanical Engineering. He attended
many Engineering conferences this year, travelling to Illinois and Rhode Island. He has scored 2 internships and is currently
employed by Edison, where he puts in at least 20 hours a week on top of full
time classes in his 4th and final full year at Cal Poly Pomona. He is
contemplating the future: graduation, job, and grad school down the line. He hopes to get an apartment, strengthen
relationships and continue to travel in the new year.
Aidan met my request for a recap with a
text. I am, quite frankly, slightly worried
to know which social outlets Aidan uses.
I suspect something quite dark and hidden in the internet world. His update text, which I quote:
Got accepted to nevada, went cliff
jumping with Joe, Went skydiving with dad, finished igetc and csuge at coc,
went to fallout boy and wiz khalifa concert, paid my way to chatauqua on a red
eye, grew a man bun, numerous art projects (dragon, Cajon, dads coasters, wolf
mural), started at Nevada and passed all classes, drove there and back.
Having Aidan at the University of Nevada has been a big change for our family. We saw Colin quite a bit when he was/is away at school. We see Aidan only on major holidays. The house is very quiet and it’s been a big adjustment for all of us. Some of us (me) took his absence a little harder than others (Ed, who took over Aidan’s room.)
Julia uses twitter as her social media of
choice. She did write out a very nice
list for me, but for the purposes of brevity, I will recap via tweet: “Rt your 2k15”
Met your current significant other
Got your license [she
gets to drive the minivan]
Went to Niagara Falls [this
summer on our family reunion trip to New York]
Won an award [high
school soccer co-defender of the year]
Had a sweet sixteen [soccer
team kidnap breakfast and dinner with friends in Santa Monica]
Got your braces off
Hosted an exchange student [Tanja, technically lives next door, but has become a close friend]
I will add
that she is taking a huge course load this junior year in high school and has
managed to earn a 4.5 GPA. I will take a
soupçon of credit, as a broken right arm from an October soccer game injury
left her right hand in a cast, thereby necessitating a homework scribe – moì. A broken foot in January and a badly sprained
ankle in May left her in casts and boots.
We are crossing fingers for an injury free 2016. A final highlight was 2 week Medical School
camp with her grandfather in Florida this summer.
Edwin handed me a chronological list on notebook
paper. He is not on any social
media. He is, however, very well
acquainted with Netflix. Attached to this
handwritten list was the speech he wrote (with a little help from Aidan) for
his 6th grade promotion ceremony.
January Squidwards [soccer team] lost at regional playoffs
February Help buy and install Dad’s
awesomesauce chair [Barca-lounger]
March Last Math Field Day competition
April 3 qualification classes…
May …2nd Degree Black
Belt testing
June fairwell
[sic] to Highlands Elementary
July 1st
time the Danahys, Stewarts and Pernsteiners were together since Ellie’s and
Drew’s wedding
August 1st day of 7th grade at Arroyo
Seco and 1st practice and game with Team En Fuego, 3 day Harry Potter
Marathon
September 1st and only loss by scorched Orange [rival soccer team]
October turned 13
November Scarlet Fever
December San Diego with Gramma Lee, Papa Paul and Liam
My year
included probably saving my mom’s life – as she was having a heart attack at
the time and someone – ahem- got her convinced to call an ambulance; running
the non-profit organization that I co-founded to provide support and funds to
the local high school; visiting Pittsburgh; getting new carpet in the whole
house – and the amazing amount of work it entailed; leaving the elementary
school after 16 years as an involved parent; working another wedding; attending
26 live comedy, music and theater productions this year – THE BEST of which was
Celine Dion in Vegas….life changing; reconnecting with old friends; joining not
one, but TWO wine clubs; visiting Cleveland…twice and Tucson only once; and saying
goodbye to fertility forever.
Brian helped
coach Julia’s club soccer team to second place in league this year. And also took over as coach of Ed’s soccer
team, a team that refuses to die.
January will see us on the field for the whole month of weekends. Soccer took much of Brian’s time this fall –
often 3+ hours at a time after work some days.
He did enjoy his Notre Dame football and is currently in Arizona with
Colin and Aidan on a boys’ football bowl week vacation. We all enjoyed our trip to New York and Lake
Chatauqua- Brian did a lot of the driving of the boat – and getting the boat
(and kids aboard the vessel) safely to shore during a huge storm on the
lake. Brian got an iphone this year – and enjoys
face timing on it. That’s as close to
any social media as he will get. We said
goodbye to Baxter in July and hello (but not the Adele $800 Staples’ Center
tickets kind of “Hello”) to new spin-off company Baxalta.
So I’ll post
this review on my blog – my social media of choice – and print it out to fill
the void in the Christmas book. And that’s
a wrap to 2015, a most wonderfully full year.
Hope you enjoy this, Meg. I did it mostly for you.
