Merry Christmas! I hope you are with your people, warm and well spoiled by those around you. Christmas in our house will be a joyful one, Dad is making turkey and mashed potatoes, my daughter is making the dressing and Karen is going to prepare something called broccolini. I’ve never had it, and photos suggest small trees after a fierce rain with heavy wind, but I’m willing to try it. There will be laughter in this house today, and for that I am so grateful.
The Athletic article today is about the World Juniors, and the Edmonton Oikers extreme involvement since the beginning. It is here.
We spent last night at Bob and Sophie’s house (Karen’s parents) and the food and company were exceptional. Sophie’s turkey is so good! The white meat is so good!!! I don’t know how that works, but will attempt the magic today. My kids came along and we had the best time. I don’t know if I can describe fully how happy it made me to see my kids having fun, laughing, enjoying the evening, but it was a great evening for me.
In these last months, I’ve come to understand that what we (me, the kids, Ziggy) experienced was trauma combined with loss. It happened all at once. The first Christmas was a blur, the second one more hopeful (I made turkey and we survived!) and this one represents a new chapter.
My children met new people, laughed, had a wonderful meal in the home of a loving family, and we escaped with a ridiculous (I said “start the car!” in the style of that old Ikea commercial as I left the house) amount of food and gifts.
There are chapters in my life that will always be with me, will always remain dear. Those chapters had a beginning and an end not of my (or anyone’s) choosing. It was the most difficult experience of my life. By far.
Accepting that fact has been both painful, while also, in recent months, allowed me to move forward with my life and to create new chapters. I’m starting a new life. It’s really hard. It helps to have such wonderful people to help it along.
One final thing. Call your Mom. Tell her you love her. Tell her that you recognize all she’s done for you and then you make Dad get on the phone and tell him the same thing. Do it now. Seriously. Love is love. Make the people who brought you into this world understand that you know how much good has come from knowing them. All respect to Santa, Mom and Dad are the ones they should write songs about. Merry Christmas, bless your house and be good to each other.
All the best to everyone this holiday season! First post. I am a long time Oiler fan surviving amongst other fandoms in NS, where Oiler games usually start at 10pm, just when I turn into a night owl, hence the handle. I kind of swore off most Oiler fan boards a number of years ago, but remembered how much I enjoyed your blog and writings, and the community of discussion. So, I have been quietly lurking and enjoying the atmosphere this season. Thank-you for all the wonderful content, it is greatly appreciated. I was born in the ’60’s, a child of ’70’s, came of age in the ’80’s and loving the music references and the memories they bring me.
I am happy for the laughter and joy in your house today LT, and I am sorry for your loss. I probably relate more to your kids as I lost my Mom when I was 23, and saw what my father went through as a widower at the age of 54. At the time, I thought he was “old”, until I got closer to that age of course. Mom left us suddenly in November, before I ever had a decent chance to know her as an adult, the day before Dad’s 54th birthday and the day after their 26th anniversary. Our family was lost that first Christmas, opening gifts she had bought for us, but muddled through together, and now continue to keep her traditions and memories alive, even more so now that Dad is also gone. He eventually picked up the pieces, married a wonderful lady my kids got to call Nanny, and they had over 25 years together until he passed a few years ago. He always said he was the luckiest man in the world to be married to two special women, and I am so thankful he started a new chapter after his trauma and loss.
So, I will echo your advice to everyone – call your Mom, call your Dad. But I will add, if you can’t, then light a candle for them, look at old photos, make their recipes, play their favourite songs, continue some of their holiday traditions or visit a place they once took you to. Their memories are alive in your heart. I have spent more Christmases without my mother than I spent with her, but she and Dad are in my heart, and that brings me joy. Take care, everyone and Let’s Go Oilers!
Wishing a Joyous and Happy Christmas to our gracious host, who makes this such a wonderful place to visit, and to all my fellow Lowetideans!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to LT and to all of the fine folks here!
Happy Holiday season everyone. May your lives be full of peace, joy, happiness and successful breakaways! I found this seasonal hockey story in my digital stocking this morning and felt that many of you would appreciate it too.
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2024/12/25/Miracle-Guildford-Mall/
What a remarkable story- thanks for sharing that.
A great read this morning, thank you for sharing.
Merry Christmas.
Don Cherry
@CoachsCornerDC
Merry Christmas to all you people.!
Merry Christmas Allan, the world is a better place because of you. I enjoy your blogs and perspective on life even outside of sports. I hope you have a great day. And know we all love and appreciate you immensely.
Merry Christmas all! It was a year of loss for our family, as Dad passed February 29th (leap day!), but also one filled with hope and joy. It was not sudden so I felt as prepared as is possible.
I had a really good dad. I’d call him the best, but he wouldn’t like being called the best. He was the smartest and funniest person I’ve ever known. He was a lawyer, primarily specializing in divorces, and he was the one you’d want if you had to go through something like that. He never fought to get more than what his clients deserved, he argued to find what was fair for all, and the judge rarely disagreed. His opening line of his speech at my wedding started with “Now I’ve done over 3 000 divorces in my time…”
He knew when to tell me to smarten up, and he knew when to cut me some slack. He was quietly strong and brave. He introduced me to Gordon Lightfoot and Ian Tyson, Red River and the Magnificent Seven. He was always there for me. He’s still there for me in so many ways.
I’m the lucky one in my family who has two young kids to focus on this Christmas. But I worry about mom and my sister. We moved out to Victoria in 2017, but mom and my sister still live in Edmonton. It sure feels far away this time of year.
We come back for Christmas every second year, and this is a Victoria year. I’m pleased to be taking it easy this year for Christmas.
Usually when we head home for Christmas, we kind of do Christmas adjacent to avoid the peak craziness of the airports, but last year we did proper Christmas in Edmonton. I kinda knew it would be dad’s last one and forced the issue. I’m so glad I did. We landed in Edmonton the 23rd, none of our flights were direct, the airports were a mad, mad, mad, mad world, and our Vancouver to Victoria flight coming home got cancelled while we were in the Vancouver airport with two kids.
Man, was it ever worth it. I’ve grown closer to my mom and sister this year. Partially the product of extra phone calls, texts, and zoom video chats, but really it’s another gift from Dad. I too am looking forward to a new chapter.
Sorry for your loss. It’s tough. I lost my dad in 2020 and my mom in 2023, like you those three years with mom brought us closer than ever despite already being a tight knit only child family. Keep talking loud and proud about your dad every chance you get.
Let’s all just remember whose birthday we are celebrating. If we follow his ways we surely will bring peace and joy to all. Merry Christmas to everyone.
Wesołych Świąt.
I’ve been having a great holiday season LT, but to read that you’re enjoying it so much actually made my day even better.
Thanks for everything and Merry Christmas!!
Happy holidays to all of the Lowetidians, and to you Al. Sounds like a wonderful evening for you. I’ve had my prime rib in the sous vide for about 8.5 hours…the whole fam is heading to my parents in a couple of hours, and we’ll break bread, laugh, and try to look forward to a great year. Thank you for still hosting my favourite place on the interwebs, and I hope everyone here has a holly jolly.
Merry Christmas Alan and all Lowetidians. Even to the GrincHH. I hope you all find peace and happiness for you and your loved ones. If you can be anything this year, be kind ❤️
Happy Holidays All!
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah (which just starts tonight – latest ever, I can’t remember it going in to the January but it does this year).
Just dropped the wife at at the airport – on her way to India – about to drive a Rickshaw apx 3000km from the northwest of the country down to the south over a couple of weeks. Going to be a crazy adventure:
https://www.theadventurists.com/guides/rickshaw-run-india/
Just me, the dogs, Oilers (and other sport) and the law for 22 days.
I will be on pins and needs every morning I hear from her and that she (and her friend) have found a town, city, etc. and a good place to stay for that night!
That sounds like a amazing trip
Sounds like a memorable trip!
Mariusz Czerkawaki to Lowetide and all Lowetidians!
And to our Jewish friends, a Kari Haakana.
Old memories meet new memories… so truly happy for you LT, your kids and Karen, walk on good sir!
Merry Christmas to our host and one and all!
Merry Christmas to you all. Here we agree and we also agree to disagree all year long.
But today we will agree to celebrate family on this day.
Merry Christmas LT, thank you so much for creating this space, which I have been visiting on pretty much a daily basis for 17 years or so – come for the hockey talk, stay for the stories. Amazing. So happy to hear how you are starting a new chapter – you are a courageous man and you are a huge blessing to your children, and to Karen. God bless you LT and all you Lowetidians. Have a wonderful day.
Wonderful update LT, I very much look forward to it every year. Merry Christmas and a happy holidays you you and all here!
Merry Christmas LT. I’m so glad you and your family are recovering from your loss.
Just to let you know, I too stood out in the hallway while my fellow students sang God Save the Queen and O Canada.
I found out later in life, that the real reason for this season is truly a God of love. And, he has blessed you once again.
yes!…Merry Christmas LT and family!…So nice to know you are embracing this Christmas with close friends and family!..We watched the grandkids opening their multitude of gifts this morning and spent time shovelling our latest blast of Christmas snow…(first snowy Christmas in the last ten years here in Halifax)…absolutely amazed by the 12 year old girl singing both national anthems at the oil/sharks game last week!…so cool!…All the best of the season to all lowetidians ( even el grincho )..and lets hope we are celebrating lord Stanley together this spring!…Go Canada at the world Juniors also!,,,cheers to all!
Merry Christmas LT. It is really nice to hear where you’re at and how great it is for you, thanks for sharing
And of course Merry Christmas to all Lowetidians! May your day be full of peace and joy