One thing about it, the days come along whether you're ready for them or not, don't they?
Christmas Eve has always been a bigger celebration day in my immediate family than Christmas Day. My parents used to throw huge Christmas Eve parties when I was a child. (Maybe they weren't so huge, they simply seemed that way to a young'un.)
To keep us calm and quieter, my parents used to let my brother and I exchange presents on Christmas Eve.
We still do that.
In the past, my husband and I have held open houses with people coming and going all day long, an 8-hour party that began at lunch and lasted past dinner. Friends, family, neighbors - anybody could drop by for a cookie and a visit.
I'd spend days preparing a table that included an assortment of cookies, fudge, meatballs, ham biscuits, and drink.
This tradition has changed as we've aged. The young nephews and niece are grown up. Many of my relatives on my mother's side have moved out of state. I don't see them anymore. Other folks have moved on to the other plane of existence, the one we only guess at.
My back hurts when I stand a long time, which cooking requires.
Part of me misses the excitement of people coming and going.
Part of me enjoys the new quiet.
Peace on earth, goodwill toward all.
Blessed be.
It's much like this for us these days, too. I do miss the constant coming and going...us to visit and celebrate with others and still others coming to our home. The big family dinners with my husband's family of 30 or more of us gathered around a table (well, many tables) and the 15 or so of us in my family. Now most have moved far away or passed on. I throw myself a tiny bit of a pity party every year that we are down to just the one gathering of us, our kids and their families, and my mom and stepdad, but the reality is that physically I wouldn't be able to do that many big dinners, anyway. Just the one makes my back, hip, knee, and ankles ache for days. I'm learning to accept and maybe even like the new traditions. Merry Christmas!
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