Point To Point Destinations

by Tara Smith
(Vancouver)

Christmas with my life witness

I am so fortunate. I was able to go home to the Maritimes for Christmas. I stayed with my sister for 10 days. It was a magical Christmas even the plane ride on the 22nd. Everyone on the plane was going home for Christmas. There was so much excitement in the air. I’ll be home for Christmas song ringing in my head. A quick layover in Toronto lead me to the bar for a drink. People were trilled to be going home for the Holidays. Happy smiling faces cheers all around. I was bursting at the seams. When I arrived I met my Family at the airport and it begins.
A few days later we met my Father at his favorite watering hole. He was there with all his friends whom I know and love to spend time with. These old friends feel more like Aunts and Uncles to my sister and I. At some point my Father starts talking about a family vacation we had as kids. My sister starts to chime in with a few hilarious facts that has the whole table in stitches. She reminded me of how I slithered painfully into swimming pools at every resort we were at. She would cannon ball in without even a toe test. That would be a perfect example of how my sister and I are different. It is those differences in us that make me love her so much. We remembered how on vacation I would send her to get the friends and in two minutes she would come back to the pool area with the friends. That would always amaze me about her. Took two minutes to find the friends. Something I was too shy to do. She was brilliant. I remembered her little body in a bathing suit as a child and how much I loved her little legs. Then the attention turned to my father. We talked about how excited he could make us while on vacation. He would start the trip by turning the T.V. around backwards hang a towel over the T.V and say this does not go on for a week. We were excited that meant candles, music, cards, board games, snacks, contests. Our father started each day with a pen and paper he would go for a coffee as we all got ready. When he got back he would sit down and say O.K. here is the game plan for today. A plan for the day! We would jump up and down. He was so thoughtful of us as children trying to give us the best he could. It was the beach, a picnic, a theme park, a car ride, a beautiful view. He would tell us the plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He would ask the locals where the best places to go are. The best times of my life were on vacation. Even the car rides were fun. My sister reminded us of the time we played Willie Nelson on an eight track tape the whole family singing out loud. We felt lucky, loved and grateful. As I watched my life witness tell the story of our childhood to my fathers best friends. I could see he was our hero and he was proud. For a moment my mind drifted to work. This is what I want to bring to people. This is why I chose the career path I did. Spending my life talking about the importance of family holidays. Here it was right in front of me. The best Christmas present ever in those memories.

Tara Smith
Point To Point Destinations