Christmas 2012

Here I sit, alone, on Christmas Eve. The family has wandered off to bed or other pursuits. My tree is lit up all bright, with a few remaining gifts set beneath it. I am reminded of Christmases (As wrong as that looks, I checked, that is the proper plural of Christmas) past. Maybe it was watching the last half of A Christmas Carol. Anyway...

When my children were small, Santa did not wrap Christmas presents. An old friend and I once discussed this...apparently traditions are different about whether they are wrapped or not. So anyway, again...once the boys were tucked securely into bed and all possible water and potty excuses were exhausted, we would set about assembling and displaying around the tree. Then my husband would head off to bed, much like tonight, and I would sleep on the couch to protect the loot. The boys would rise at the crack of dawn, but they were not allowed in the living room until Daddy was present.

Those were fun years...though I will gladly climb into my nice warm bed tonight.

Well, since I have done Christmas past, why not Christmas present? Or maybe Christmas presents. I miss gifts. Not the actual getting, but the mystery and the anticipation. My husband and I have stopped trying to guess what the other wants. We now plan a yearly vacation and call it a year.

And like Scrooge, I fear the spirit of what is yet to be the most. There are many things we can not change, no matter how we keep the Christmas spirit in our hearts.

But on to bigger and better things...

It is almost Christmas Day. I wish everyone a happy heart, the company of family and friends and most of all contentment.

Merry Christmas