We are a family of four plus one and a half. Celinez and I have five-year-old boy/girl twins, a part-time “Nana” (76), and visits from “Papa” (79). With demanding careers in the security industry and law enforcement, raising children, and caring for aging parents, life can take chaotic turns. Holiday traditions bring calm and joy when needed most, which includes the opportunity to teach our children to give back.
The week before Christmas, there’s much ado, together, in the kitchen. The children, donned with baker’s hats and aprons, share in the baking of candy plates for teachers, friends, neighbors, and first responders. While covered in butter, flour, and sugar, we share stories of the Christmas past. Spatulas become microphones and measuring spoons turn into drumsticks, along with “Wepa!” and “Woo hoo!”; a mixture of Christmas carols played in Spanish and English.
Celinez embraces the custom of making “coquito”, also known as Puerto Rican eggnog (But without the eggs), as a welcome addition to the plates. The recipe is 2 cans of evaporated milk, ½ can of condensed milk, ½ can of Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and a little (or an “ito”) of cinnamon for flavor. Blend until the top is froth. Taste. If it’s “muy bien” add ½ cup of Bacardi White Rum and blend for a few seconds more. “Hecho!”
Christmas is also when we take time to think about the less fortunate, and discussions tend to focus on what we can do to make a difference in someone’s life. The idea of the White Envelope tradition has been passed down through generations: an act of kindness, or a gift, to someone in need. However, there is one hard, fast rule, and that’s where the fun comes in. The act must be anonymous. The story is then transferred to paper, placed in a white envelope, and the envelope is hidden among the branches of the Christmas Tree. Christmas morning, the contents of the envelope are revealed and often shared through smiles and tears amongst each other, toasted with coquito, of course.
We can only imagine if lives were changed through these acts. Replacing a tire that was used for basketball into an actual hoop, delivered to a family of two young boys’ doors by random law enforcement agents. The Smokejumper firefighter who was injured in a fire and could use some extra money for the holidays. The Manager of a pizza parlor, who lost her home and a beloved pet to a fire, received some extra funds to start anew. The high school basketball player whose family was homeless and couldn’t make it back from practice before the shelter curfew, so she was forced to stay with teammates. Perhaps the extra money that came her way helped brighten her holidays. But we will never know. And that’s ok.
In a law enforcement family like ours (45 years of experience between Celinez and I) the holidays are a time to flush out the negative and correct the pace of our lives. Aside from the lasting impressions our traditions hold, we try to teach the children that every day is an opportunity to pay it forward, even if it’s secretly paying for the person’s coffee in the drive-thru line behind us. It’s also important to have time away for just the two of us to take stock of where we want the week before us to go. There will be deletions and interruptions to our plans, but some will play out to afford meaningful time together as a family. ❦

About the Author

Celinez Nunez currently serves as the Director of Security for Pepco Holdings.
She is a retired Senior Executive/Chief Security Officer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Debi Cain is a Special Agent in federal law enforcement.

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