Celebrating Christmas: A Journey Through Family Traditions with Gray Hair Dave
Join Gray Hair Dave for a heartfelt Christmas special as he reflects on cherished holiday traditions and the importance of family and togetherness. He shares fond memories of selecting Christmas trees with his family, the joy of decorating, and the special moments spent with loved ones during the festive season. As he navigates the changes that come with growing up and starting new family traditions, he emphasizes the significance of passing down these experiences to future generations. With a focus on gratitude and the joys of the holiday spirit, Gray Hair Dave encourages listeners to embrace their own traditions and connect with those around them. Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, his message is clear: spread joy and kindness, and cherish the moments that make the season truly special.
Gray Hair Dave welcomes listeners to a heartwarming Christmas special, reflecting on the significance of family, traditions, and the joy of the holiday season. As he shares his personal experiences, listeners are taken back to nostalgic moments of picking out Christmas trees with family, highlighting the excitement and warmth that comes with these cherished rituals. The episode unfolds with Dave discussing the fun of hayrides and the thrill of cutting down a tree, capturing the essence of family bonding during the holidays. He reminisces about how these experiences shaped him and how, even as family dynamics change over the years, the spirit of Christmas remains a constant source of joy and connection.
The conversation shifts to Dave’s current role in the hospitality industry during the holidays, where he emphasizes the camaraderie he shares with coworkers who also work on Christmas. He expresses the unique bond formed among those who spend the holidays away from their families, celebrating together in their own way. Dave mentions the importance of giving others the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones, and he reflects on how he finds joy in his work, even amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This perspective adds depth to the narrative, reminding listeners of the value of service and community, especially during festive times.
Additionally, Dave encourages listeners to reflect on their own traditions, inviting them to share their holiday experiences and practices. He recognizes the diverse ways people celebrate, whether it be through Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or other cultural festivities, and underscores the importance of these celebrations in bringing joy, faith, and family together. The episode concludes with a heartfelt message of hope and connection, urging everyone to smile at someone today, emphasizing the power of kindness during this special time of year.
Takeaways:
- Gray Hair Dave reflects on holiday traditions, emphasizing the importance of family and joy.
- He shares fond memories of Christmas tree outings with family, highlighting shared experiences.
- Dave appreciates working during holidays, as it allows others to celebrate with loved ones.
- He encourages listeners to create and cherish their own holiday traditions with family.
- The podcast touches on the transition of traditions as families grow and change over time.
- Dave invites listeners to share their own holiday traditions, fostering community connection.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Oh, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Five Minutes with Gray Hair Dave.
Gray Hair Dave:Merry Christmas, folks.
Gray Hair Dave:Oh, Merry Christmas.
Gray Hair Dave:I said I wasn't coming back until the first of the year, but I had the day off today.
Gray Hair Dave:Today is for me, it's jets.
Gray Hair Dave: ,: Gray Hair Dave:And I was up early today and got a bunch of things done.
Gray Hair Dave:And I thought about family and traditions and all the things that, that I used to do with my family and her friends when I was younger.
Gray Hair Dave:And I want to talk about it for a couple of minutes.
Gray Hair Dave:Thought you might enjoy that.
Gray Hair Dave:I do have to work tomorrow.
Gray Hair Dave:I'll be.
Gray Hair Dave:Oh, Gray hair day at work tomorrow.
Gray Hair Dave:And I like to work on the holidays for two reasons.
Gray Hair Dave:One, it.
Gray Hair Dave:Hopefully it gives somebody with family or kids the ability to take the day off and be with them.
Gray Hair Dave:And you know, the people that do work on the holidays, they, they have a special little bond that they have together because they had to work the holidays, whether it's Christmas or New Year's or Fourth of July, whatever it is.
Gray Hair Dave:And you know, you kind of, you got, you don't commiserate together, you celebrate together.
Gray Hair Dave:And I enjoy that.
Gray Hair Dave:It's kind of nice.
Gray Hair Dave:Now, sometimes we get lucky and get fed on Christmas Day.
Gray Hair Dave:Certain departments will go ahead and put out a spread for us.
Gray Hair Dave:I don't know if that's going to happen for me this tomorrow or not, but we'll find out, you know, but I remember when I was young.
Gray Hair Dave:I'm sure you all do, too.
Gray Hair Dave:And if you're still young, I'm sure you're building those memories now.
Gray Hair Dave:And it was, it was exciting to go get the Christmas tree.
Gray Hair Dave:Do you all remember going to get the Christmas tree?
Gray Hair Dave:Whether that was at a.
Gray Hair Dave:A Christmas tree lot or a Christmas tree farm?
Gray Hair Dave:I know that for the longest time we went to a Christmas tree lot.
Gray Hair Dave:I mean, I'm sorry, Christmas tree farm.
Gray Hair Dave:And one of the cool thing was you got to go ride a hay ride out to where you might find your, you know, your Christmas tree.
Gray Hair Dave:And then you'd find it, you'd cut it down and you load it into the back of that, of that trailer again with hay all over it.
Gray Hair Dave:And you'd take it back up and get ready to pay for it.
Gray Hair Dave:And you'd go inside for some hot cider and freshly made donuts.
Gray Hair Dave:I remember those days.
Gray Hair Dave:Those are fond days.
Gray Hair Dave:I realized that some of those days were done without my older brothers because they had moved out of the house or they were in college or, you know, they're married a lot because I was so much younger than them that mom and dad and I still did those things.
Gray Hair Dave:But it was fun when Paul and Tim were around to do them, too.
Gray Hair Dave:And then, you know, we get home, we'd put it in the stand and let it sit for a little bit, get the decorations out, string the lights, and it'd be a fun evening with the family.
Gray Hair Dave:Even though.
Gray Hair Dave:Even though my dad was not big on putting decorations on the tree, he was involved.
Gray Hair Dave:But mom enjoyed it.
Gray Hair Dave:I enjoyed it.
Gray Hair Dave:I think Paul and Tim enjoyed it too.
Gray Hair Dave:It was a lot of fun.
Gray Hair Dave:And we did have usually some Christmas music playing in the background.
Gray Hair Dave:And it's nice, you know, as years went on, we stopped going to the Christmas tree farm and we started going to a lot, you know, just Christmas tree lot.
Gray Hair Dave:And I remember one time, my friends and I, we got together with my girlfriend and.
Gray Hair Dave:And we decided that we were going to go out and get my mom and dad a tree this year.
Gray Hair Dave:And it was so much fun because we got it all set up for them.
Gray Hair Dave:And when they got home, they got.
Gray Hair Dave:They saw.
Gray Hair Dave:They were so excited.
Gray Hair Dave:It was so much fun for us.
Gray Hair Dave:My friend Bill was with me.
Gray Hair Dave:My girlfriend at the time was there, and I believe Matt was there, But I'm not positive about that, but I'm pretty positive.
Gray Hair Dave:And we had fun going and doing that.
Gray Hair Dave:Things like that bring back great memories, and they give you such good memories.
Gray Hair Dave:I personally think my parents were great and.
Gray Hair Dave:And they showed it.
Gray Hair Dave:They, you know, they.
Gray Hair Dave:They gave it back.
Gray Hair Dave:Now, I'm saying all this because eventually they.
Gray Hair Dave:They moved out of the house we lived in most of my life, and they moved into a.
Gray Hair Dave:A smaller house and they had.
Gray Hair Dave:I believe we gave.
Gray Hair Dave:We.
Gray Hair Dave:They had a tree for a while, for a few years.
Gray Hair Dave:And then as they got sick, we really didn't do it as much.
Gray Hair Dave:I think we went to a artificial tree, maybe not.
Gray Hair Dave:I don't really remember the end there because I had moved away, too.
Gray Hair Dave:I'd gotten married and moved away, too.
Gray Hair Dave:And then you have your new traditions because you have your own new family now.
Gray Hair Dave:You know, my brothers had kids, so it was more about the kids, because it should be.
Gray Hair Dave:Christmas is about kids.
Gray Hair Dave:It's also about, you know, Christ's birthday and it's also about family.
Gray Hair Dave:And these are my opinions, folks.
Gray Hair Dave:Don't take this as gospel, but I was also thinking about God today and that which made me go and do this.
Gray Hair Dave:I think he's.
Gray Hair Dave:He was the one who decided I was going to go and record this today because he thought I had something to say to you, and I do, but you are building, you know, the traditions of your family.
Gray Hair Dave:And I watch my brothers and their kids and their traditions are going on.
Gray Hair Dave:They're starting new traditions for the.
Gray Hair Dave:My brother's kids have, are starting their new traditions or they're doing, they're doing things their way because their kids are, you know, they've all got kids and they're getting older and, and they enjoy themselves.
Gray Hair Dave:But, you know, so all of a sudden, mom and dad turn into the ones that go to the kids houses for Christmas to watch the kids open their presents and have dinner and all those fun things and, and it's less work for my, you know, for mom and dad because basically the cleanups are not as bad because you're not at your own house.
Gray Hair Dave:Right.
Gray Hair Dave:Well, it's not nice, but it is true.
Gray Hair Dave:So the traditions change.
Gray Hair Dave:And I think back about the traditions that we had and I wonder.
Gray Hair Dave:I know, number one and I, we, we tried to have kids and we didn't.
Gray Hair Dave:We weren't able to.
Gray Hair Dave:That's another podcast.
Gray Hair Dave:But it's, you know, we had, we started building our own little traditions and so did number two and I.
Gray Hair Dave:And it was fun and it was enjoyable and it lasted for, for a long time.
Gray Hair Dave:It did that good feeling, the feeling of joy and excitement and happiness, which is what the season is all about, isn't it?
Gray Hair Dave:Feeling joy, happiness, faith, being with family, being with friends.
Gray Hair Dave:Yeah.
Gray Hair Dave:Even being with your co workers, if that's where you got to be.
Gray Hair Dave:Because people take vacations and that's their tradition, and I'm part of the hospitality industry, and that's what we do, you know, that's what we do.
Gray Hair Dave:We're here so they can be on vacation and be at Disney World.
Gray Hair Dave:Do they think about us not being at home?
Gray Hair Dave:I don't know.
Gray Hair Dave:Maybe.
Gray Hair Dave:Maybe they do, maybe they don't.
Gray Hair Dave:But I, you know, I just wanted to talk to you about it today.
Gray Hair Dave:I'm curious about what your, your holiday traditions are.
Gray Hair Dave:There are people all over the country, all over the world who listen to this podcast, and I'm curious what your traditions are.
Gray Hair Dave:How do you do things at Christmas and New Year's?
Gray Hair Dave:Do you celebrate, you know, is it, do you celebrate Hanukkah this time of year?
Gray Hair Dave:Because I think it's that time.
Gray Hair Dave:It's that time of year, you know, Kwanzaa, there's a lot of, A lot of faiths out there that are celebrating this time of year.
Gray Hair Dave:This is an important time of year.
Gray Hair Dave:So that's what I had to say.
Gray Hair Dave:For today, don't forget to leave me a message on either.
Gray Hair Dave:You can leave me a voicemail, go to my website.
Gray Hair Dave:The number 5 minutes with gray hairedave.com, bottom right hand corner of any pages.
Gray Hair Dave:This little microphone, It's a little purple microphone.
Gray Hair Dave:Click on that.
Gray Hair Dave:You have to leave me your email, your name and email address.
Gray Hair Dave:And remember, I don't give out email addresses.
Gray Hair Dave:I keep them.
Gray Hair Dave:Or you can go to the Contact Me page.
Gray Hair Dave:Let me know what you think or what you're doing for the holidays or what traditions you have, and I'll be happy to talk about them next time we get together.
Gray Hair Dave:Also, folks, again, don't forget to tell your friends about me.
Gray Hair Dave:My name's Gray Hair Davis.
Gray Hair Dave:This is, you know, Gray Haired.
Gray Hair Dave:Five Minutes of Gray Hair Dave is just one of my podcasts.
Gray Hair Dave:The other one is Boomer Podcasters, where I teach and train people how to podcast.
Gray Hair Dave:And that's coming back in January, too.
Gray Hair Dave:I just took a small little break because it's been a little busy and everybody's busy and don't have.
Gray Hair Dave:They don't have as much time to listen.
Gray Hair Dave:So I appreciate those of you that are out there and doing this, and I'm happy you're there.
Gray Hair Dave:I'm happy both of you are there.
Gray Hair Dave:So you can look at either one of my websites.
Gray Hair Dave:It's five Minutes with Gray Hair Dave.
Gray Hair Dave:That's the number.
Gray Hair Dave:Five Minutes with Gray Hair Dave.
Gray Hair Dave:Or you can go over to boomerpodcasters.com don't you check that out, see what you think.
Gray Hair Dave:Folks, if you know somebody who doesn't know what a podcast is, doesn't know how to find one, what genres are out there, if they might be interested or not.
Gray Hair Dave:Show them where they're at, show them how to find it, show them how to follow, subscribe, all those fun things.
Gray Hair Dave:I pray for you all to have a wonderful, happy new year and a fantastic Christmas season, Hanukkah season, Kwanzaa season, and I look forward to talking to you again in the new year.
Gray Hair Dave:So don't forget, smile at somebody today, folks.
Gray Hair Dave:You will make their day.
Gray Hair Dave:So on behalf of Gray Hair Dave here in Gray Hair Productions, please, please, have a safe holiday.
Gray Hair Dave:If you go out on New Year's Eve, don't be afraid to call an Uber if you have a couple of drinks, okay?
Gray Hair Dave:Because I want to keep you safe.
Gray Hair Dave:I want you coming back and listening.
Gray Hair Dave:All right?
Gray Hair Dave:So Merry Christmas from Gray Hair Dave.
Gray Hair Dave:Bye.
