Sacrifices...........

Just like clock work Christmas came again this year (approx. one year since the last), and once again I am glad it is over. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the food, gathering with friends, watching Frank Cappra's (misspelled) Its A Wonderful Life, which for me is the highlight of the holiday season. What I do not like is the gotta have more gifts, spend more money than they do. Why cant we go back a few years, sit around with friends and family, drink hot chocolate and egg nog (leaded or unleaded), and just enjoy the season. People put to much emphasis on gifts and such. I can remember when I was really young we would gather up somewhere different every year on Christmas Eve and someone would dress up like Santa, boy I miss that. Now I seldom see any of my family, holidays do not matter to my parents that much, or if they do they don't ever show it. But that is ok. I just hope that I am setting the right example for my children. I want them to feel wanted at my house on Christmas Eve and have some type of tradition for the holidays. Last year we stayed home on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we had our own turkey at our house with no arguing, showing off, or attitude from anyone. Man I enjoyed that. This year with me having to work the holidays just were not the same. A friend of mine asked me, back before we started the ambulance service, do you have any idea what kind of sacrifices you are going to have to make? I did not then, but I do now. Deborah and I work all the time, but the biggest sacrifice was made by our girls, with little complaining I might add. On Christmas Day I had to take a transfer from Pine Bluff back to Monticello, the girls did not complain. Even when we have to change our plans to accommodate work they don't complain. I love those girls....if I had to name someone I thought of as a hero, I would have to say Laura, Hope and Chloe. Laura and Chloe for their strong determination and strength for battleing with their illness and long hospital stays...Courage beyond their years. I have to say Hope for being our rock, the one who holds us together. Hope has more patience and will than anyone I know. She helps me while the other girls are in the hospital and Deborah is driving back and forth between the hospital and work. Hope does all this while reminding Laura or Chloe, whoever is not in the hospital, to take their meds or do their homework while helping me keep the house clean. She does all of this and never complains. Who said heroes have to be cowboys. I am sorry for the rambling but when I started typing it just came out....Thanks for listening.