This is the first year in my life that I'm going to miss Christmas with my family. A few weeks ago my 82-year-old mother-in-law developed a serious circulatory problem in her leg and had to be hospitalized. She'll be fine, but needs the family to rally around her as she transitions back home from the nursing facility where she's been recovering. So, instead of celebrating my 48th consecutive Christmas in Zanesville, Ohio, with my extended family, I'll be here at home in New York.
To be honest, the hardest part of this whole Grinchy situation was the awful task of picking up the phone and calling my dad to let him know that I wouldn't be coming home. He was clearly disappointed but, being one of the most optimistic souls on earth, he quickly started consoling me with stories of Christmas's we've shared over the year.
