“Twas the night before Christmas and of course everyone was scurrying around the house in excitement. Like most families at Christmas time, we had extended relatives staying with us, so the commotion in the house was quite louder than normal. Cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents filled our house, but despite our restless waiting for the clock to strike and everyone to part ways we decided to play a little game. At the time I was 15 and the tradition of playing a game with our family on Christmas Eve had become a staple in celebrating the occasion. It was a tradition that we’d only been celebrating for a few years, but everyone grew to love it especially the incentive of the winner getting to open one present early. Despite Christmas morning being only a few short hours away, when all the presents would be opened and their hidden treasures revealed, we all gathered around the table and prepared for a heated competition. Not every year is it the same game though, Clue and Monopoly tend to be our family’s favorites. I don’t recall what game we were playing that night, but I remember it getting pretty intense. I ended up winning, and I was so overjoyed. My mom had picked out specific presents that could be opened that night for each kid if they won. I unwrapped my gift to find a red retro style radio.I still have and use that radio to this day; it sits in my room where I turn it on and occasionally listen to the one radio station it picks up. Yes, that Christmas Eve I received a pretty cool gift, but what makes this memory so special to me is that everytime I see that radio I’m reminded of my family and the tradition we built. We now come together every year to play games and enjoy one another’s company. If you win, sure you get a gift out of it, but sitting, laughing, talking, and playing together is a gift I get to enjoy every year regardless of who wins the game. It’s a tradition I’ll treasure not because of what items I may have gained, but the memories I’ll forever have to keep.”