For the first time since 1968, I am not in Sault Ste Marie for Christmas.
I am at home.

1968
I’m living in Narragansett, Rhode Island and Brother John Veale, our Director of Novices, decided that we could go home on December 26.
(I did miss the two major holidays meals – the traditional Calabrese Christmas Eve meal and Canadian hybrid Christmas Day dinner.)

1977
Paul and I had decided to leave New York City and move to Pittsburgh. And given that it would be our last Christmas in the City, I decided not to travel for the holidays.

2001
My sister Jo’ had died at the end of June and I really didn’t want to be in Sault Ste Marie for Christmas. (We each mourn in our own way.)
Rick and Sarah suggested a trip to Israel and I was onboard.
(I remember calling my mother, on December 26 – the feast of St. Stephen –  to tell her I was at St. Stephen’s Gate in Jerusalem. Our frazione/neighborhood/parish in Aprigliano was Santo Stefano.)

2020
The border with Canada is closed. Them Canadians are smart to keep us COVID deniers out; to keep us no-mask fools out of their country.
The Ontario government has issued a lockdown as of 12:01am December 26 – they are trying to prevent what happened in America after the Thanksgiving travel-and-spread.

I’ve been collecting Italian Christmas cards for years.
The image above is one of my favorites. Love its simplicity. The featured-image is another card in the same style.
Also, love being in my own home for the holidays; and I love not celebrating Christmas.
Are we finally able to define ‘family’ as something other than our DNA group; as something other than our husbands and wives?