Read us online at UpNorthVoice.com!
Up North
Voice Vol. 12, Issue 12
.com
Free
Strengthening the communities of Northeast Michigan
December 2021
Santa Letters!
See what the children in your community want from Santa Claus!
IN THIS ISSUE: Santa Letters – B section Out and About – 2 Christmas message – 4 Santa Train – 10 Comfy Chair – 11 Hunting success – 12 Meomio – 13 Eagle Voice – 14 High school robotics – 15 Laughing Buck - 20
Families and traditions over the holidays Isn't it funny how times change?
By Mark Constance
them again. Regardless, you would remember, with the photos and memories we all share of Christmas’ past.
Past Christmases may or may not have ever been the Norman Rockwell painting of grandpa standing at the head of the dinner table; Head down At Grandmas house in prayer, carving knife in hand, When I was a kid, I can remember surrounded by family, as one of the my parents packing us up and going kids sneaks a piece of ham, or a to my grandmother's homes. We lived present from under the tree. in Detroit at the time. Christmas today is something One lived on Rossini west of different and unique to each of us. Kelly, and the other at the corner Many of us have circumstances of Chalmers and Houstonin our lives where we may, or Whittier. One held dinner may not, be where we want early and the other late. to be for the holidays. Although the family And it doesn't seem like members were different, families are what they both events were the used to be. same: Loud and busy. Economics and At my “Grandma relationships take many Mike's” (both of my uncles of us far away from each were young, so we identified other. In my own family we our grandparents by their Mark range from Northern Michigan Constance names), dinner was held in the to south Florida, west to basement on a large oval table California and all points in between. made of finished, ¾ inch plywood Instead of walking around the block with a red or green tablecloth. At to get the proverbial cup of sugar “Grandma Wayne's”, a slate pool and catch up on family happenings, table was covered with a sheet. we now communicate via Facebook, Each held a cornucopia of food Twitter, Skype, Instagram, Fishbowl, that included homemade relishes, Pinterest and any other number of ham, turkey, potatoes, stuffing, online mechanisms. But it's better pies, and multitudes of cookies; all than nothing if you consider that 100 individual specialties that comprised years ago, when someone moved 100 the best that everyone had to offer. In miles away, you probably never saw
my mind's eye, I can still see and feel the love in the room.
The kid's table
As children we were seated at the “kids table” which was usually a large old couch or a couple of card tables off to the side. When you were young it was an okay place to sit because you were surrounded by cousins your own age. But eventually you started to look forward to the day when you got to move to the “adult table.” But no one ever really defined when that would be. It was something along the line of “wait till next year.” And when you did reach that point, you couldn't have a drink “until you’re 18,” which was the legal drinking age back then. Families just have their own kind of rules I suppose.
Life goes on
However, the river of time slows for no one. New family members join as they are born, while others arrive
Christmas 1969 in Detroit. Pictured (l-r) are Eileen DiBernardo, Todd Durst, Geraldine Constance (Grandma), Chris DiAgostini and Michelle Constance.
through marriages and friendships. And losses occur through the passing of the older generation. As my dad used to say, “One goes out and another one comes in.” Just this year, my mom, Patti, passed away, devastating our family. Her loss is partially offset with “…another one coming in.” My daughter, Autumn, recently delivered the newest addition to our lives, Leo Patrick. My niece Jenna welcomed a daughter, Addilynn. And the family is ▪ See HOLIDAY TRADITIONS on page 8