"A Visit from the Ghost of Jodi Lanka's Christmas Past"

This time of year always creates memories, mostly positive. From the gifts, to spending time with family members, everyone has memories of this beloved season. Let’s take a look at my favorite memories of my five most recent Christmases. 

2020- This was my beloved dog Izzy’s first Christmas. Even though it was a pandemic, it was still just as merry as other Christmases. It was the first Christmas in my life where I didn’t go to my mom’s parent’s house and my mom made the annual prime rib instead. I think I stayed in my Christmas pajamas the whole day, making Christmas 2020 a cozy one. 

2021- This was the Christmas where we got to go to my grandparent’s house again after two years. It gave me a sense of normalcy, which was much needed. Thankfully, the pandemic would end soon. Within a week of this Christmas, my cousin and his wife, who now have a toddler, got engaged.

2022- This was the Christmas where my favorite gift was a windbreaker that said “Small but Mighty” on the back of it. 2022 was the year I started embracing my shorter stature.

2023- Not only was this the year that my mom started hosting Christmas because my grandparents got too old to host, but I found out my cousin’s wife was pregnant that very Christmas only three months after getting married.

2024- This one was my favorite. My cousin’s son was now seven months old. I read him a Christmas book and my aunt showed him the ornament my grandparents had gotten the year prior saying that they were becoming great grandparents. My grandparents also moved in with my mom, brother, and I, so they spent Christmas morning with us, too.