My earliest Christmas memories involve waking my brother up at the crack of dawn and running downstairs to see what Santa Claus had brought us. As I got older, part of the Christmas tradition involved calling Mikita in order to compare our respective hauls, and then traveling to Baltimore by train the next day to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I always felt particularly lucky to have two Christmases.
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| Christmas circa 1978 |
Now that I am a mother, some traditions from my childhood have remained, while others have changed. Chloe still believes in Santa Claus, but she likes to wake up late and cuddle before going downstairs to see what is under the tree. Since she was a baby we have travelled to Mikita's parents' house in order to celebrate with her family, and for the past two years the party has moved to Mikita's house in West Orange, NJ. We now alternate between hosting the Day-After Christmas celebration in Maryland and Harlem.
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| Misa and Chloe- Christmas 2008 |
This December our Christmas was all about re-connecting through food, drink, and laughter. I am grateful that Chloe and I were able to spend time with our extended family of Cardwells, Farrows, Glovers, Schneiders, Joneses, Parkers, Simmonses, Kims, and Jenkinses.
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