A Christmas Tradition

Today the kids and I headed to the cemetery to decorate my Dad's headstone. I know it sounds like a weird tradition, but we do this every year and I really enjoy it. I like talking about my Dad with the kids and hope that they will understand the kind of Father he was. It was clear today that they really don't understand who Grandpa Harvey is or was. They don't understand that he was my Dad and that he is gone. They don't understand that Sugar is my Mom and that Jim is her boyfriend. My Dad was killed a year after Jeremy and I got married so none of my kids met him here on earth. I have no doubt, however, that in Heaven they were having the greatest of times. At one time in my life, I felt a little guilt for giving birth to my boys thinking that I took them away from him in Heaven. I hoped that he would be happy they were coming to earth to get a body and to learn from me as a mother, but I did feel a little guilty. Today as we drove to the cemetery I was telling a story about my Dad and that he was one of the first people to have a cell phone. I explained that the cell phone was far from what we have now in that it was a giant box with a large phone in it that would occasionally work but was to only be used for emergencies on the farm. So I finish telling the story and Brody says, "You didn't have cell phones growing up?" And then Case chimes in and says, "So did you guys have electricity when you were growing up?" SAY WHAT?!?! Did my 6 year old just ask me if I had electricity growing up? Not one question about the main idea of the story...Grandpa Harvey. Good Gravy boys!! We did have a great time eating El Charro together and making the cemetery look a little nicer today. I hope that by doing this, they will come to know my Dad and that he will not be forgotten through time. I think it's a wonderful Christmas tradition!