"Christmas time's a comin', Christmas time's a comin', Christmas time's a comin', and I know I'm goin home"

OK If you know that song you are the winner. Growing up we had some funny traditions. One was at Christmas time we would decorate the tree and listen to Nat King Cole and a Johnny Cash Christmas. NO-we were not country music fans! But that was our tradition. I want to see Walk the Line for that reason.(well one) This time of year I miss my mom and brothers terribly. It really sucks because Ohio is my home, but so is Florida. I am SUPER close with my mom. I can tell her just about anything. She supports me in every way, and even when she doesn't approve, she never lets me know and is there for me to make my own mistakes. She is totally my inspiration and my role model. She is not perfect, but she has had a lot of hardships that she has overcome, and she is the ultimate strong, independent woman. She continues to struggle with problems, a son that is facing jail time, 2 other sons that are extremely selfish and naive, a daughter that needs to get on her feet again and CONSTANTLY vents to her, all 4 grandchildren live several states away from her, a husband that treats her like a slave-she waits on him hand and foot-he would never think to do the same, a sister that has constant marriage troubles and who is facing her own jackass of a husband, a brother that has hep b-has had a heart attack-has a son w/down's syndrome and has constant money problems, a father who is legally blind and is handicapped-his new wife has the beginning of alzheimer's and they rely on my mom for everything, a mother who died of lung cancer 3/9/94, a job that is WAY too demanding of her and bosses that treat her like crap, and her own recurring health issues and scares. Yet through it all, my mother is the most positive, upbeat person I have ever met. She rarely complains, she is always smiling, and she appreciates life. She recently found god, which is strange because at times it seems over the top, but it has helped make her a stronger person and helped her battle HER own demons from the past. A drug problem, a drinking problem, a string of failed relationships and 3 divorces. My mom works hard, and has always worked hard for everything she ever got. She made mistakes raising us, but what parent doesn't. She gave me a lot of great memories, and every year I look for that cd or tape of a Johnny Cash Christmas,and every year I turn up short. We had it on a record, which I know she doesn't have anymore. It's sad because my brothers now don't help her decorate or anything, they have no traditions like my other brother had when we were growing up. My mom just decorates by herself. This year I had planned on going to Florida for Christmas. My mom has made a lot of sacrifices for us over the years, and I love her very much. Now that I'm not working retail, I can actually have time off for Christmas. By the time I knew for sure my time off was approved, all flights were pretty much booked unless I wanted to pay like $500/ticket. $1500? No thanks. Driving? Even worse. So, at least I have the time off, but next year I am definitely planning way, way, WAY ahead to make sure I can go home for Christmas.