I honestly would have preferred to have spent the holidays alone.

[IrishAyes]

4. Not like the movies, no....

But even if the tree was a Linus, it was still a tree - and ours. If you consider child-made decorations beautiful, fine. We did have an heirloom creche scene, but otherwise it was homemade kid stuff. Beautiful presents? By the standards of the day and our station in life, yes; largely career military families, most of us barely middle class if that when you consider family size. In our family every kid got a complete new set of clothes to wear to Mass and one major toy. Love, yes, although we tended to be a scrappy bunch when Dad was away on a tour of duty. I guess we were mostly happy because we didn't really know another way of life.

Now I don't really mind spending the holidays alone because of lifelong habits. As Dear Abby used to say, better to be alone than to wish you were. I'm happy with who and what I am at this age; it's uncomfortable when other people try to fit me into their own preconceived notions. I can wish them the best and bid them a fond farewell.