Journeys›Photograph

A Family Christmas at Home, December 2007

·San Francisco, California·#winter#bay area#christmas#family#2007
A person kneels, helping a child unwrap a red gift box with Christmas paper on a carpet in front of a floral couch.

A family gathering in mid-December 2007. We were on the carpeted floor of the living room, wrestling with snowman-print wrapping paper. The main event was, of course, the youngest member of the family getting her present. She seemed more focused on the paper itself than what was inside, at least at first.

The box revealed a pink wooden toaster set. We sat for a while just looking at the packaging, figuring out all the little wooden pieces it came with. Nearby, my grandmother watched from a plush armchair, settled in for the evening in her red Christmas sweater, right next to the decorated tree.

After all the excitement of the big gift, the little one found a simple metal cup to play with, perfectly content just sitting on the floor by the tree. It’s funny how sometimes the simplest things bring the most entertainment. The whole afternoon felt quiet and warm, just the soft light from the tree and the sound of family in the house.

Later, I caught her peeking through the banisters of the stairs, which were wrapped in greenery. Just a simple, happy moment that seemed to capture the feeling of the day.

A person helps a child unwrap a red gift box with snowman wrapping paper on a carpeted floor.An adult in a patterned jacket and a child look at a pink toy box for a wooden toaster set.A person in a patterned jacket holds a pink wooden toaster toy box, while a child peers over it.A man and a child look at a pink box depicting a toy toaster set, with a painting in the background.An elderly woman sits smiling in an armchair beside a Christmas tree, while a child drinks from a cup on the floor.An older person sits in a chair next to a Christmas tree while a child on the floor drinks from a metal cup.An older person sits in an armchair while a child holds metal pots on the carpet, near a Christmas tree.A smiling child holds onto two wooden balusters with a green garland and red ornaments at the bottom.

More Entries