1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,453 Speaker 1: from News Talks. 3 00:00:11,453 --> 00:00:17,053 Speaker 2: A'd be as a little kid, I always slept terribly 4 00:00:17,493 --> 00:00:20,493 Speaker 2: on Christmas Eve. I would try and go to bed early. 5 00:00:20,493 --> 00:00:23,173 Speaker 2: I would tell myself that, you know that the sooner 6 00:00:23,213 --> 00:00:25,733 Speaker 2: I went to sleep, the sooner I would wake up 7 00:00:25,853 --> 00:00:29,493 Speaker 2: on Christmas morning. But sure as anything, I'd be up 8 00:00:29,773 --> 00:00:34,093 Speaker 2: all night listening for any sound of activity on the roof. 9 00:00:34,893 --> 00:00:37,573 Speaker 2: Together with my three little brothers and sisters, we would 10 00:00:37,573 --> 00:00:40,253 Speaker 2: be desperate for mom and Dad to throw open our 11 00:00:40,293 --> 00:00:43,853 Speaker 2: bedroom doors at first light, and would scramble down to 12 00:00:43,973 --> 00:00:49,413 Speaker 2: our spinly and slightly off scentered Christmas tree to see 13 00:00:49,413 --> 00:00:53,653 Speaker 2: if Dad's old football socks had been attended to by 14 00:00:53,733 --> 00:00:59,973 Speaker 2: Santa overnight. I suspect this Christmas Eve will be another 15 00:01:00,413 --> 00:01:04,373 Speaker 2: poor sleep, not because I will be excitedly listening for 16 00:01:04,813 --> 00:01:08,693 Speaker 2: the sound of shuffling reindeer on the corrugated iron roof, 17 00:01:09,053 --> 00:01:12,053 Speaker 2: but because it's my first Christmas morning with our ten 18 00:01:12,093 --> 00:01:15,453 Speaker 2: month old son. We are taking both our boys to 19 00:01:15,533 --> 00:01:19,413 Speaker 2: their cousin's place for Christmas. So five kids average age 20 00:01:19,813 --> 00:01:23,533 Speaker 2: four and a half, what could possibly go wrong? Our 21 00:01:23,573 --> 00:01:26,533 Speaker 2: eldest is already fizzing, but our baby is going to 22 00:01:26,613 --> 00:01:30,773 Speaker 2: have absolutely no idea what's going on, although sure as 23 00:01:30,813 --> 00:01:33,453 Speaker 2: anything he'll wake up a minimum of three times in 24 00:01:33,493 --> 00:01:37,973 Speaker 2: the night to demand cuddles and to feed. Christmas I 25 00:01:38,013 --> 00:01:43,333 Speaker 2: reckon it is. It's kind of a touchstone for our family. 26 00:01:44,413 --> 00:01:48,253 Speaker 2: I think, like many Kiwi families, it is the one 27 00:01:48,333 --> 00:01:50,853 Speaker 2: time of year when all of us, or at least 28 00:01:51,213 --> 00:01:55,893 Speaker 2: as many of us as as possible, are in one 29 00:01:55,973 --> 00:01:58,133 Speaker 2: place at the same time. You know what I mean. 30 00:01:58,853 --> 00:02:01,693 Speaker 2: You think about it. You have weddings and funerals and Christmas. 31 00:02:02,133 --> 00:02:06,333 Speaker 2: Those are the only occasions in which we are all together, 32 00:02:07,053 --> 00:02:10,413 Speaker 2: and Christmas is the only regular one. As a child, 33 00:02:10,893 --> 00:02:12,653 Speaker 2: you never kind of think about this stuff, But as 34 00:02:12,653 --> 00:02:16,413 Speaker 2: you grow older you were gently confronted by their reality that, 35 00:02:18,173 --> 00:02:22,013 Speaker 2: for better and worse, the numbers in the room on 36 00:02:22,093 --> 00:02:27,493 Speaker 2: Christmas Morning change. The grandparents whom I shared Christmas Day 37 00:02:27,533 --> 00:02:30,413 Speaker 2: with as a little boy are no longer with us, 38 00:02:30,573 --> 00:02:33,333 Speaker 2: no longer sitting on the couch sipping their coffees and 39 00:02:33,853 --> 00:02:37,213 Speaker 2: Riley commentating as the kids tear into the wrapping paper. 40 00:02:38,093 --> 00:02:40,973 Speaker 2: My granny was a very active woman, so every Christmas Morning, 41 00:02:41,053 --> 00:02:45,773 Speaker 2: after we had stuffed ourselves with chocolates and junk. She 42 00:02:45,813 --> 00:02:49,213 Speaker 2: would lead a brisk stroll around the neighborhood as we 43 00:02:49,333 --> 00:02:52,853 Speaker 2: worked up an appetite for Christmas lunch. Dad and my 44 00:02:52,933 --> 00:02:56,373 Speaker 2: granddad would stay at home and race through a cryptic crossword. 45 00:02:57,693 --> 00:03:00,773 Speaker 2: Now it's different, I mean, for the kids, it's more 46 00:03:00,853 --> 00:03:03,773 Speaker 2: or less the same. It's all magic, it's all a whirlwind, 47 00:03:03,773 --> 00:03:07,413 Speaker 2: a blur. But for the rest of us, a new 48 00:03:07,533 --> 00:03:13,253 Speaker 2: baby just reinforces our awareness of having stepped up a generation. 49 00:03:14,293 --> 00:03:16,493 Speaker 2: So where once I was struggling to sleep through the 50 00:03:16,573 --> 00:03:19,533 Speaker 2: night on Christmas Eve, now it's my boys and their cousins. 51 00:03:20,293 --> 00:03:24,133 Speaker 2: My parents have become the grandparents, sitting on the couch, 52 00:03:24,373 --> 00:03:29,373 Speaker 2: sipping their coffees riley commentating proceedings. My siblings have become 53 00:03:29,453 --> 00:03:33,213 Speaker 2: the parents, the aunts and uncles. People who once were 54 00:03:33,213 --> 00:03:38,573 Speaker 2: there are not new excited little bodies have taken their place. 55 00:03:40,973 --> 00:03:45,853 Speaker 2: And I don't know the sadness in it, but there 56 00:03:45,893 --> 00:03:51,173 Speaker 2: is also something quite quite beautiful about it too, you know, 57 00:03:51,213 --> 00:03:55,453 Speaker 2: like placing yourself in a generational context like that. It's 58 00:03:55,493 --> 00:03:58,773 Speaker 2: a circle of life thing, and it's funny that it 59 00:03:58,813 --> 00:04:03,933 Speaker 2: comes at Christmas. I think other cultures and religions probably 60 00:04:03,973 --> 00:04:08,133 Speaker 2: have many more of these regular moments. But we're a 61 00:04:08,173 --> 00:04:12,453 Speaker 2: little bit short on touchstone traditions, and for me at least, 62 00:04:12,533 --> 00:04:16,573 Speaker 2: Christmas is a short, little window every year where the 63 00:04:16,613 --> 00:04:20,533 Speaker 2: busy lives in my family are about as aligned as 64 00:04:20,533 --> 00:04:23,853 Speaker 2: they're ever going to be. It's a touchstone where, if 65 00:04:23,893 --> 00:04:26,893 Speaker 2: you want to, you can step back and observe what's 66 00:04:27,013 --> 00:04:31,653 Speaker 2: changed in the family. My son's first Christmas will mean 67 00:04:32,413 --> 00:04:35,933 Speaker 2: seeing myself in a slightly different light, not as a 68 00:04:36,013 --> 00:04:39,453 Speaker 2: kid or a gift giver or someone helping to set 69 00:04:39,493 --> 00:04:43,693 Speaker 2: the stockings under the tree, but as a bridge between 70 00:04:43,733 --> 00:04:47,933 Speaker 2: different generations of the same family, hoping that the spirit 71 00:04:48,053 --> 00:04:51,653 Speaker 2: of these traditions will continue for many years to come. 72 00:04:52,493 --> 00:04:55,573 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 73 00:04:55,653 --> 00:04:58,493 Speaker 1: to news talks he'd be from nine am Saturday, or 74 00:04:58,573 --> 00:05:00,453 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.