Photos & precious holiday memories
I made a mistake. I forgot. Early December, Keith and I and my sister-in-law Lorene headed to York to meet my sister Karin driving up from Kansas. We go east and Karin drives north, and we usually meet at The Kitchen restaurant.
The reason to meet is, of course, to spend a little time together. We never quite see enough of one another, though we’re in touch via phone, messages, and email. Nothing beats some face-to-face time even if it is only for a couple of hours. But we do have another reason for the get-together, other than sharing a good meal before heading back to our homes.
Christmas is a time for our kids and grandkids. Karin and her family get together in Kansas. We get together in Papillion for one Christmas where we gather with our daughter, son, and families. We also do Christmas with Lorene in Kearney.
The reason for the get-together is to exchange gifts between our families. Our gifts to Karin are transferred to her car and hers to us are transferred to our vehicle. After parking at the restaurant, we walked inside. Karin held my arm to stabilize me.
We had a surprise as soon as we entered. The wait staff said, “Follow me. We have your table ready.”
Wait. I hadn’t called in a reservation. “Karin, did you…?”
The waitress laughed. “We saw you outside and got your table ready.”
Wow! We only get together at The Kitchen once a year, but still they recognized us. We had a wonderful lunch, with the restaurant even able to cater to my many allergies. The food was delicious, and we ate as we talked and caught up with our families. The atmosphere was inviting and friendly. No wonder we return each year. In fact, as we left, we thanked them again.
Keith nodded and said, “See you next year.” (Though we were talking about getting together more often, since it only took a day, no motel. We’ll see if we can make that happen.)
Once we were transferring gifts, I wasn’t the only one who realized. “Hey, we didn’t get pictures.” And then we shrugged. Maybe next year, Once again, though I had good intentions, once we started talking and eating I forgot about pictures. That makes me sad.
The good thing is, it is still OK. I have those memories tucked safely inside my heart and mind.
Happy New Year!
© 2023 Carolyn R Scheidies
Column published in Kearney Hub 01/02/24
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