Christmas is really one of my favorite times of the year. I love hanging out with my family- when they are behaving. This year, everyone was on their best behavior. My mom and aunt even teased each other jokingly in the kitchen. I thought at first maybe I was still at home asleep in my bed. Only in a dream could they pretend to be so cordial. But no, they carried on the rest of the day. We played the White Elephant game like every year and everyone laughed and teased each other like we were a normal happy family. I was seriously beginning to wonder what alternate universe I had been sucked into on my way to Gonzales. These were not the bitter angry people I had braced myself for. But I was so grateful. I don’t think they have truly buried the 100′s of hatchets they need to take care of, but they put on a good show. Maybe it was because it was Christmas. Maybe it was because it’s the first Christmas without my grandfather and they just wanted to keep the peace for my grandmother. Maybe they really are just trying to get along. I’m not sure. I almost felt a little better when late in the afternoon, my aunt pulled out a bottle of champagne and got toasted because my other aunt was blocking her car in and wouldn’t let her leave. That seemed a little more like what I was expecting…

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