Best Christmas, or worst

Growing up all the Christmas years were very simple. I didn't have a especially best one. They were all good. Mom' and Dad both grand mothers were still alive. Us kids got a couple gifts. The Christmases now are good also. It just seams like, how much money we can spend now. Tomorrow the family will be here for Christmas, we will have a house full. every one will have a good dinner prepared by my wife. The Christmas of 1967 will go down as my worst. I was in the Navy stationed at Iwakuni Japan. We were told Christmas was a normal work day. We made it up for it new years eve. Merry Christmas from California. Stan

My parents always had the holidays off from work. Just gave them more time so they could start drinking earlier. They'd be passed out by 3-4 p.m. after a day of screaming and fightin'.

It was kinda funny, they would fight and pass out then the next morning...get up, fix coffee and sit at the kitchen table. Talking like nothing had happened. After coffee the beer started flowing and the fightin' commenced. It was a daily ritual.

Same thing would happen after they got off work. It was a 'love/hate' type of relationship. lol

I can't really complain about my Christmases. Yea I missed a few away from my kids and wife but that was the life I chose so that's on me! My parents, both now long gone, worked very hard to make sure my sister and I had great Christmases and set the example that my wife and I followed with our kids. My parents made sure that we had everything we needed for the kids too. We are now doing that for our grandkids! I have a son in law who the first year he was married to our youngest daughter cried at our family Christmas. We gave him a model truck. It was the first time he could ever remember getting a toy for Christmas. I really felt bad for him. Heck one year he and his 3 brothers each got a new pillow for their beds. That was it. So all of mine could have been a lot worse!

Rick

2013 was my worst one. Mom died the 24th.Not a Merry Christmas that year.

Christmas for a vet

Christmas for a vet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaPNPQQQAdU
Vet Christmas

We never had much growing up. Sand farm, poor cows, old equipment. Dad was not a risk-taker, saw his dad once have 5 small farms, lost them in the Depression. Sister and I scavenged our woods several winters so Dad had some scrap to sell for Christmas money. But, others were worse off- always was that way before welfare programs. You don"t see school kids in shabby clothing now. In 5th Grade, our teacher had us draw the presents we liked best. One classmate drew what he got... a comb and a candy bar.

They were the ones in se Asia.

this is best my Christmas in years ,. I am cancer free ,, THANK GOD , and modern medicine ,. I have been in a holiday spirit for the last 2 weeks ,. this am I came across my 1st wife in the Walmart , and we gave one another a great big hug,.she told me I was sweating , and I told her she always had that effect on me ,. we both lafed ,. this afternoon the boys brought their wives and babes over to exchange gifts ,. My Sara made the best tasting LASANGA ,EVER , , and we stuft ourselves with a good salad too,. tonite I just got back from midnite mass ,, sara and ilistned to manheim stemroller in the Lincoln, comin and goin , tomorrow I will go to the country church , my son married his Stacey for Christmas service ,. I also sided and insulated this church in 1982,.. never had a call back on it,,. at noon we are due at 1st, son mikes home for dinner , gonna play some cards , and enjoy life ,. yes I have had good christmass as a boy ,, and for about 5 yrs straight we had a formal dress Christmas dinner at mom and dads ,, that began the 1st time my 1st wife to be met my folx , she was 17 when we married , the christmas's kept getting more joyous for the next 20 yrs . ,, than like a switch,. flipt off 1st wife wanted out ,.. worst Christmas was the yr . I knew there was not a blame thing I could do in this world to patch it all backtogether if she did not want it ,.. but I am allbetter now ,,. cept I still got 17 acres of 60 bu beasnto get..

Best Christmas was when us kids were little, we lived on a farm. My mom could sew and had a sewing machine. She saved everything.She would trace around us kids hands and make mittens from blue jeans and used the ends of socks for cuffs on the mittens.She used wool for insulation of the mittens.Then wrap them up and that is what we got for Christmas one year.I must have been about 6 at the time.Best Christmas!

Best: 1987, I and my oldest daughter went down to Berea College in Ky. to get my son for Christmas break. On the way back, he was driving and we were in a pretty bad wreck. Daughter and I both had pretty bad injuries, she was life flighted to Univ of Ky and I was in the hospital in Morehead, Ky. We got out of the hospital and came home on Christmas Eve. The "best" part was coming home. Worst: being in Viet Nam during Christmas with a Zapper attack on New Years Eve.

Christmas was good growing up, did lots of family things, getting the tree, decorating, and big family get together's. Then about age 17 or 18 I started working at a ski area and the holidays were the busiest time of the year so I worked Christmas for more then 10 years straight. Now our kids are scattered to far away places so it is a quite day for us.

The best was when I was young,everyone ging to grandmas for dinner..the worst,,was the years my mom was getting worse with her M/S,some years towards the end we spent Christmas at the nursing home.

First Christmas stationed in Germany, US Army 1968. Had KP all day. Come to think of it, could have been a lot worse.

Best Christmas was in Vietnam. Gave a whole new meaning to what it is really about.

Worst and best at the same time for me. 10 years ago I was in the hospital after surgery and had a prolonged bleeding problem. Dec. 23 started bleeding internally really bad and took a team of Drs. a few hours to stop it. A couple days later one of the attending Drs. told us that it was no small miracle that I survived--guess God didn't want me yet!!

(quoted from post at 20:55:25 12/24/16) Growing up all the Christmas years were very simple. I didn't have a especially best one. They were all good. Mom' and Dad both grand mothers were still alive. Us kids got a couple gifts. The Christmases now are good also. It just seams like, how much money we can spend now. Tomorrow the family will be here for Christmas, we will have a house full. every one will have a good dinner prepared by my wife. The Christmas of 1967 will go down as my worst. I was in the Navy stationed at Iwakuni Japan. We were told Christmas was a normal work day. We made it up for it new years eve. Merry Christmas from California. Stan

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I guess the best were when I was little and still believed in Santa Clause...later I felt guilty getting probably more gifts than I deserved as things were pretty tight living on a small dairy farm with 14 of us kids. My parents always seemed to make it work, tho. Worst was the years my dad and wife didn't get along...really put a strain on things.

There are a couple that stick out as not being as good. The Christmas just before Dad died was spent with him in the hospital. Come to think of it there were several that was spent with a relative who was in the hospital at the time.
We never have been rich by any stretch of the imagination. Several years ago we quit exchanging gifts with adults. The kids still get gifts. The adults are asked to pool our money and give to either the children's hospital or sometimes we anomalously help a struggling middle class working family. No one who is already getting government help is considered. Since we started doing this, it has made Christmas much more enjoyable and less stressful. We also just have a normal meal so it gives the ladies more time to visit with the family and not near the mess to clean up. It works for our family.

I have been blessed with very many good Christmases. The strangest was at Fort Hood Texas in 73. Just another day in the Army.

The best Christmases were when I was a kid especially when we went to my grandparent's house in Blair Ne. Worst was the first Christmas was fourteen years ago after our daughter passed away. Son in law came with the three little girls but their mommy wasn't with them. We pretty much got over it and all is well for Christmas. Those three little girls can drive their own cars to our house now though an undescribable sadness hits us when they leave. Where does the time go? Merry Christmas everyone.

Greg, Don't know you, but by your writing it sounds like you turned out fine. Speaks good of you.