when Christmas comes, I will be in the house I grew up in. I moved back here just over 2 weeks ago, in the same room that was mine when I was young. The decorations are up, the trees decorated, some of the gifts purchased....and that's about as far as we've gotten so far. The past few months have been consumed with packing and moving....with the primary move over Thanksgiving weekend, which left Thanksgiving dinner as something of an afterthought. Now here's Christmas.....next week. How DOES that happen so quickly?!
when Christmas morning comes, there will be the laughter and joy of children opening gifts, excitedly racing in to see what Santa brought. that hasn't happened in this home in a long time...but that's exactly how it's supposed to be. there will be the traditional variety of ham, sausage, tenderloin biscuits for breakfast....but dad won't be here on Christmas eve doing the cooking this year. His spirit will be here, though....and I and my children and grandchildren will do our very best to make this Christmas one filled with joy, even though we will be missing "Greatdaddy" and "Papa Ed"....our first Christmas without my dad and husband. Mark Schultz has recorded a song I would encourage you to listen to..."A Different Kind of Christmas"....that sums it up quite nicely. Things will never be the same. Christmas is changed forever. That said, it now falls into my lap to do for my grandchildren the things my parents did for my kids....make good memories. Have a joyous Christmas that focuses on the real reason we celebrate, that centers on giving and sharing and good times.
so here I am....with Christmas coming next week, in the home where most of my growing up Christmas memories were made, given the chance to do the same for my children and grandchildren. I so dreaded moving at this time of year....but hindsight is 20/20, and already looking back to the recent few weeks, I can see how it all unfolded just as it should.
when Christmas comes, there will be love in this home, even in the missing them part, even tinged with sadness.....but in this place, when Christmas comes, love wins....in the smiles, the laughter, the joy of simply being together and wrapping each other in a blanket of love. the circumstances are not what I would've chosen, but gifts come wrapped in the strangest ways sometimes.
yes. when Christmas comes this year.....love wins.
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