Happy Holidays 2023 'The Holiday Lesson'



                                                                                                                                        


For the first time in 23 years, the Allred Family holiday letter will not be filled with bad news so that you all may feel a little better about your own lives. For example, it will not be shared that both Kyle and Michelle (two different incidents/two different cars) were rear-ended and both cars were totaled or that now every time Kyle sees a similar car he calls out, “love it while you can!” We won’t share that I was part of a horrifying telephone scam in which AI was used to imitate Tommy’s voice or that Katie stepped in (while in Austin near a known homeless area) human feces. That Robb insists on doing his “Pig Man” face to the horror of his granddaughters or that it took the vet and two vet techs, a muzzle and three Trazadone to take Remi down for a check-up will not be discussed. Nope. None of that. And why … you ask? 

For the first time in 23 years, I know in advance that something horrible is going to happen to the Allred family but cannot share what until after Christmas. Think of this as merely a precursor to the REAL letter (to be revealed in the new year).  There will be pictures and videos. Viewer discretion will be advised. Stay tuned.

            In the meantime, we hoped to share a story in the true spirit of the holidays. It is the story of how we all make mistakes, and if we are wise, grow from these experiences. It is a story of strength and fortitude, of empowering others, creating hope and generating change. It is the story of Harper, age 2, throwing a colossal fit ~ much like the time Kerri flipped out after she crushed her phone in the car door. She is 30. Or much like the time Robb went berserk when the “dirty, rotten, cheatin’ Longhorns” were “given” a game by the “[censored] refs.” He is 55.

A Holiday Lesson

            Harper was in the middle of a very important and dramatic fit (note: one shoe kicked off to the side with intense and purposeful message to those who insisted she wear shoes to the park) when her Grumpa (aka Pig Man) took a picture of this vulnerable state of despair.

            Harper noted this act of betrayal from Pig Man and rallied. Nay, she took the playground by storm. While her sister, Ella, approached the crowded park with caution, Harper dominated – literally.

            She crawled up the highest slide again and again, so fast her accompanying adults could not keep up. Other times she entered the slide from the bottom, scrambling up to the top with great speed. No fear. No hesitation. Families watched; children marveled. One boy became an announcer, a little Don King of the slide: “Heeeere she comes!”

            Little Harper forgave Grumpa Pig Man (arguably one of her most favorite people) his indiscretions and she climbed like no two-year-old has ever climbed before. She showed Ella there was nothing to fear and she smiled at the cheering crowd ~ the memory of the “I no wanna wear shoes!” event forgotten. As Harper navigated the massive slide with unprecedented skills and very short legs, mouths hung open. “She’s done it!” Little Don King shouted.

            A new champion of Chapman Park was born as was a new lesson: Don’t kick of your shoe in a show of rage because someone always has a camera.  May you always climb the highest slides of your life!!

*Stay tuned for Holiday letter Part II when the “gift” has been given (and survived). For those new to our letters, check out http://allredgreetings.blogspot.com/

                                                                                                        LOVE ALWAYS,

                                                                                                                THE ALLREDS

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christmas 2016 - the best/the worst

Image
For those who follow the Allred annual holiday letter, you already know .. this is the letter of doom. But this year, despite proclamations of years passed (almost two decades), was pretty rough. Col. Marc B. Powe, true American hero and our father, fell and is permanently brain damaged. At the time of his fall, he was caring for our mother, Karen, who has Alzheimer’s. That was January 8 th of this year, marking the beginning of the worst year of our lives while thousands of dollars were stolen from our parents, businesses refused to recognize our power-of-attorney status, and rip-off and scam artists loomed. At one point I had decided there would be no letter this year until one of my children reminded me how very much my father – their Papa – looked forward to this letter. So, in honor of my pop – the man who never got me in trouble despite my deeds because he so delighted in my antics; for the U.S. Diplomat who snickered in horrified delight when I called the Queen of Jordon o...
Read more

Christmas 2017

Image
Dear Friends and family –             For those who know the format, yup, it’s another bah-humbug year. For those new to this annual letter, welcome. In this family, “making the letter” is a badge of honor (or humiliation). Since the inception of this annual letter of woe, it has been this way. For the kids, there is (most regretfully) a bit of a competition. Typically, Katie leads. Tommy hovers and the family joke is ‘good girl’ Kerri has only made appearances when she was hit by a bus (twice) or squashed a racoon. Kyle, still new the family and its tradition of celebrating disasters and misery, has not yet peeked…until now:  In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, after losing everything they owned, Kyle reportedly looked at Kerri and asked, “Do you think we’ll make the first or last paragraph of the Christmas letter?”             As they watched the water swallow up t...
Read more