When I think of Christmas, I think about three things: too much food, a miserable family gathering and my siblings and I gathered around three shot glasses filled with rum to prepare us for all of this. We all sit around my grandmother’s kitchen table and things get loud and petty really quick. It’s not long before someone is angry and storms off and we don’t hear from them for months. Ho, ho, ho…either way, that part of Christmas is not fun. Do you see why the shots are necessary?

It’s not all bad, though. Before all the crazy people come over, we do our own traditional “opening of the gifts” part. My siblings, dogs and I wait at the top of the stairs until our mom calls us down to see what Santa brought us. We sit in a circle in front of the tree and begin opening gifts. First, the pups (yes, I’m serious. Our dogs literally unwrap presents). They unwrap rawhide bones, squeaky toys and other stuffed toys that won’t make it until New Years’.

Then my mom crawls under the tree and pulls out an array of presents; “From Aunt Liz to Jessica. From Adam to Grandma…” My favorite part is watching my mom open her gifts. Any chance my siblings and I can show my mom how much we appreciate her, we’ll take.

For years, my mom struggled being a single mom of three. She provided for us, giving us everything we needed and tried to give us some semblance of a normal childhood. We did without a lot of things growing up, and that greatly affected my mom. She still questions her value and it saddens her that we weren’t raised like “the other kids.” But she doesn’t realize how grateful we are to have been raised the way we were. My mom, brother and sister are my world, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I know most people say this, but I have the greatest mom in the world. She never put herself first and sacrificed so much to make sure we were happy kids. She was, and still is, always there for me, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am without my mom. So Christmas, for me, means giving back to her. She never bought anything “nice” for herself. So from clothes, shoes, jewelry, books, movies, perfume, and make up, we try our best to spoil our mom. We try to give her everything she’s ever wanted and we thank her for being selfless. This Christmas, go above and beyond for your mothers or fathers (or whomever raised you), because without them, Christmas wouldn’t be nearly as special. Merry Christmas!