The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - day 8

Hello, blog friends!  I am liking this frequent blogging thing.  It is a welcome study break.

Today's Challenge?

My Least Favorite Thing About the Holidays

Ewww.  NOT what I want to blog about!!

Unfortunately, this was pretty easy and didn't require much thought.  Even though I love the holiday season, it is definitely one of those times that I really, really miss the people who are not in my life any longer, mostly the ones that have passed away.  

I always think about my Granddaddy, who died just before I graduated from high school.

I see so much of him in me.

Hopefully his best qualities, not the ones that irritated the rest of us.

(But I'm sure some of the irritating ones, too.)

He was a physician, and not a week goes by that I don't wish I could tell him some story from school that I know only he would appreciate.

I think about my Pop, who died when I was in my 2nd year of college.

He was an amazingly great husband and loved his wife until the day he died.  

He taught his sons to be men.

(I pray that God will bless me with such a man some day.)

He called me "sister gal'.

(Oh, I would love to hear that one more time.)

I think about my dear friend Adam.  And Mr. James.  And Mama Watson.  And countless others.  

I think about friends that I miss, relationships that I have not nurtured the way that I should have, and of course, around the new year always think back on the year that has passed and learn from it without having any regrets as to how I lived it. 

sigh

Goodness, this is not the lighthearted post you logged on for, now was it!  Back to cheerier things tomorrow!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!