My Christmas

This year's Christmas for me was different.
We're feeling the effects of the global recession, so this time we didn't have money to spend to buy gifts and a Christmas tree. Instead, I got a long, memorable card from my parents. Now I was completely fine with this, since it's the thought that counts.
Yesterday on Christmas Eve, my parents got into this huge, disgusting fight. It was over money, of course, and they didn't talk or see each other for the remaining hour. I tried to intervene their argument to see if I can help, but all it did was make me involved in their troubles. It was total bullshit.
It was quiet from then on. The only noise I heard was from either my iPod or the sounds of fingers typing on the computer. It did not feel like Christmas at all. It just seemed like a normal day.

This morning, I woke up at around 10 and took a shower, because my mom was basically forcing me to go to this church service. I didn't argue, because it was Christmas! My dad was just lying there on the bed, not moving because he said he was sick. Hmmm, sick on a day we go to church. How surprising. Mom didn't bother with him and we just left.
We arrived at church around 11:10, and ALL the parking lots were full. So my mom was starting to bitch about how it was all my fault for making her late, when I specifically remembered I was waiting for HER to finish putting on make-up and shit. But whatever, we found space on the sidewalk and parked there.
Got in, ALL the service halls were filled, so we stayed in the food court (Yeah, our church is REALLY big.) I just played games on my iPod and texted to friends on my phone for about two hours when the service finally ended. My mom's always in a good mood after service, so we ate at a restaurant and went to this mall.
This was the spotlight of the day.
The mall was REALLY big. Four floors (Six if you included the garage), and it was going to have a grand opening the day after tomorrow. My mom is a realtor, and she had some commercial space there in the mall, so she had a key to get in. We snuck in, and it was amazing. No one but us, HUGE mall.
We ran around, we danced for a little, we looked at the closed stores for a while. It was AMAZING. I miss it already.
I was there for about an hour, and my mom got her paper work. We left and came back home, and I'm sipping on hot cocoa and eating Chips Ahoy! cookies.
It was a different Christmas experience, but it was definitely better than I expected. The time I had with my mom was a gift itself, and I was satisfied.
Thanks mom and dad!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!