This Christmas is the most relaxing since I was a boy living under the roof of Wally and Auntie Kay Smith. Back then, I didn’t have to worry about organizing anything for the festivities of the season.

Auntie Kay wrote all the Christmas cards, did all the Christmas baking, and cooked the food too, as well as helping out with the annual United Church Christmas banquet. I don’t know who organized who went to whose place, but somehow we always went to some other fruit growers’ houses during the holidays.

We went to the Jack Venables, the Orr brothers houses Fred and Alf, the Carlton MacNaughton’s, the Osland’s, the Jack MacDonald’s, the Jim Mitchell’s, Wally’s cousins Barbara MacDonald and Jim Stewart’s place, the Zarelli’s, and the Jim Smith’s house.

We didn’t go to them all in the same year, we went to several every year, and of course Wally and Auntie Kay always had the New years party because Wally had built the biggest living room to accommodate all the friends.

The only responsibility I had was to wear something clean and I was good to go. Of course I helped to carry things from the car to the house, but after that I was free to play and try to stay out of trouble.

As an adult, Christmas has always been a frantic time with buying gifts, sending cards, decorating, going to parties and of course working for a living.

Five years ago we decided that we were tired of trying to figure out what to get for people who have everything. We stopped buying gifts for one another and just did stocking stuffers.

That worked fine until this year when we decided to end the stocking stuffer junk too. Instead, we found an organization that takes care of shut in seniors who have nobody and gave some of those seniors new things like scarves and gloves that they had requested needing.

We sent Christmas cards out as well as several gifts. Christmas Day we will have a dinner and we have invited a long time friend who has nowhere else to go. We have been relaxing and continue to be unhurried.

I suppose being retired removes a lot of the hurry to get things done that we found ourselves trapped in. At least I felt trapped, trying to keep up with everything. I even found myself a bit resentful with the traditional gift giving.

Now, I’m free of all that. The only one we spoil with gifts is the grandson who is seven years of age. He has everything but we still feel he needs more of everything, and don’t they grow up fast!

I sent out season greetings out to everyone on Facebook, but to those who aren’t on Facebook, I send out season greetings, merry Christmas, happy new year and have a prosperous and safe 2017!