"A Christmas Tradition I Hope to Build"

Christmas has always meant family for me. Growing up with two aunts who were my guardians, I learned early that the holiday season isn’t really about presents or decorations. It’s about the people who show up, year after year, and the memories we create around the table.

Our Christmas gatherings were never small. With a long list of cousins and enough personalities to fill a stadium, for holiday dinners one time of the year, everyone makes an effort to be in the same room. The food was always an anchor: a mix of seafood and pasta, plus chicken tenders, which are a favorite, whether you’re just like me with a food allergy or the sea food just wasn't for you. That was okay! It may not have been fancy, but it felt right. It felt like home. 

One day, I hope to carry the same energy into a Christmas tradition of my own. I imagine a home where the door is open from morning until late at night, where cousins, friends, and anyone who feels like family can walk in without knocking. I hope to be able to cook just as well as my family does and, yes, with seafood that I would ask my brother to bring. Because traditions don’t have to be complicated to matter.

More than anything, I want to build a holiday that keeps the spirit my aunts gave me: a feeling that no one is alone during Christmas. I’d hope my future family would grow up knowing that December isn't about perfection. It's about belonging.

If I can create a Christmas like that, warm, loud and full of people who care for one another, then I know I’ve carried the best parts of my childhood forward.