Merry Day

It was a nice Christmas.

Christmas is such a time marker.  You remember all of the things that you did on this day throughout your life.  Memories of you as a little kid, as a young adult, as a new parent, and now as a grandparent come crashing through, without much of a sorting.

It is a day of mixed emotions.... thinking of times in your life that are changed forever, and people as well as pets, who have left for another dimension.   My father died on Christmas Day.  I always relive that event on Dec. 25th also.  I remember that it was so cold that day, that the wine that my mother had in her trunk was frozen when she brought it into our house in Lynn.

This year was the opposite.   You could have had Christmas Dinner outside on the Marblehead deck.  It was uncomfortably warm.  I'm grateful that my Liberal friends didn't start in with a "Global Warming" chorus.  I like to drop the political rants around the Holidays.  There will be many times ahead to resume that debate.

Traditions have changed over the years.  They have to as families change, and people move to different locations for their homes.  We started some new ones this year that I hope will continue.

When I was kid, I was always so excited about the Christmas presents that I was about to get.  The big change now is that I appreciate gifts that  I receive, but the greatest joy is in seeing the people you love open the presents that you have given.  This year, it was jewelry for the daughters, Kreg tools for the sons, and Kindle Tablets for the grandkids.   Will and Ethan checked out with their Kindles.... there was no more conversation as they lapsed into an online game focus.

The star of the day for me was someone that I didn't even know last Christmas.... my 11 month old Grandson Connor.   His joy to be around people spread pure joy to everyone that he was around.

My brother, Jamie,  was in the Hospital in Florida, and calls to him and my mother made me feel sad that their Christmas was not exactly tidings of comfort and joy.  My new year's hope is for health for them soon.

Joanne again served the fifteen people at our Christmas Dinner table with incredible culinary skill and Bam and Bampy seemed to enjoy the Fixings as they have for many years now.

In some ways, this Christmas seems to be a landmark shift.  With our kids all happily married and building traditions around their homes and growing extended families.  The circle of life seems to be in full swing this year.

I hope that all of you Peeps enjoyed the day.... and that the mixture of memories and emotions have left you on the up side.   Looking forward to wishing you a Happy New Year.