This may come as a surprise to some people, but in the past, I have been a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to celebrations. From Christmas and Thanksgiving to birthdays, I have always tried to find excuses to get myself off the attendance list.

My issue isn’t spending time with family, although we all have a few relatives we would rather not see at an event. My issue is that I have never been a very social person, and events with big crowds have never been my favorite. 

While many people’s favorite activity at family get-togethers is the food or quality time, on many occasions, my favorite part of an event was leaving to go home and getting some rest. 

However, as I have grown older and allegedly wiser, I’m beginning to change my opinion on the many celebrations held throughout the year. With many of my family members getting older and experiencing some health scares, I’ve started to appreciate the time I spend with them more. 

This year, I celebrated Christmas with my extended family a few days early and spent Christmas Day with my parents, little brother and grandparents. In addition to my family Christmas celebrations, I also attended Christmas parties with my partner’s family, where I received more presents than I knew what to do with.

To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the Christmas parties I attended this year. I spent quality time chatting with family members and made quite the impression on my partner’s family over a game of Uno’s No Mercy edition. 

However, despite having a good time, by the end of the last Christmas party I was ready to put the tinsel and holly in a box and celebrate New Year’s.

Usually, I spend New Year’s Eve with a few close friends, sharing stories and catching up on the many events the passing year held. However, this year, I celebrated New Year’s Eve with my partner at a party in Georgia.

Despite the long drive to get there, we had a great time and were lucky enough to see the live broadcast of the New Year’s ball drop in New York and watch fireworks light up the sky outside of her friend’s house.

After the many celebrations I spent Friday, my birthday, having a quiet night out with my partner and enjoyed a hot slice of apple crisp that my mother made for me. 

So, while I still occasionally groan when thinking about leaving the house for a family get-together, the occasions that once felt like a chore to attend are becoming something I look forward to. So, I encourage any other scrooges out there to enjoy the holiday get-togethers as much as you can and cherish the time you have with your loved ones.

Standard reporter Caden Hurley can be contacted at churley@southernstandard.com.