Let’s Chat: From our house to yours

By Linda Tooth on December 24, 2025.

I remember growing up and the importance Christmas was for my family. Grandparents would travel from Moose Jaw to Medicine Hat to spend time with us, my youngest brother sneaking down the stairs to see what Santa had left for us and a turkey dinner with home-made stuffing that was amazing.

I think the best part of that meal was the left-overs. Nothing could beat a turkey and stuffing bun about 10 p.m. that night.

When I was 16 my best friend invited me to go to Hawaii with her family over the Christmas season. Christmas Day on the beach with the sun shining was a bit different for this prairie girl.

That trip in the 80s was when Magnum PI with Tom Selleck was big. I had the biggest crush on him and I was fortunate enough to see the Waimanalo Beach House, also known as Robin’s Nest, where Magnum PI was filmed from the front gate on that trip. I am a bit saddened to hear it was demolished in 2018.

Then through marriages, partnerships and grandchildren our family grew. Christmas took on a new meaning for our family. My parents welcomed two grand-daughters and three step-grandchildren into the family. To see the Christmas season through the eyes of children really was and is an amazing experience.

When we lost my dad in November 2012 and my mom in December 2017, I could not face Christmas. To me it just did not seem like it was a season worth celebrating. I know that sounds sad but the reality is I could not see a reason to celebrate, and then something changed.

If I take a moment to think about it, I think the medical issues we have faced as a family are the reason with the pinnacle being the life-saving surgery my great-niece, who was just over two months old at the time, received in July of this year.

To celebrate the season this year, I brought up a little ceramic Christmas tree that has been in my family for decades. It is sitting front and centre in our living room on a table my parents had.

Hanging on the little tree is an ornament of my great-niece’s handprint – she is thriving after her surgery and is now getting her first tooth.

We are celebrating Christmas Eve with friends, hosting a family potluck and going to Brooks to spend time with family all over the Christmas season.

For the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to the festive season. From my family to yours, I hope this Holiday Season is filled with love and joy!

Have a Meowtastic Day and keep reading!

Linda Tooth is a philanthropy and youth support worker, YMCA of Southeastern Alberta