Perhaps every family goes through stages such as this. For a long time it feels stalled. Nobody having babies or one having a baby and nobody else for five years or more. Then the dam breaks and everybody is having a baby or hooking up with a lady who has a child or two of her own and the family mushrooms.
Such is the case this past year and damn, to me that is a good sign. Cripes I feel like I am acting like Jock Ewing. It seemed that all that guy ever wanted was grand babies.
For the first time since moving to my house in 2002, I am not hosting Christmas eve. I think. Yep. I am almost positive that each Christmas eve I have had my daughter and my niece and nephew here and my sister (niece and nephew's mom) when she was not incarcerated.
This year my nephew is hosting the event. YAY! He met a lady who has a young boy and my sister lives close to him and my niece with her new husband live close to them, also. It would be silly for all of them to travel to my house Christmas eve when now it is just my daughter and I. We can travel to them.
My daughter's beau is in Florida visiting his family for the holiday.
If you travel this holiday, may your roads be dry and clear. (And "rein"deer free.) If you are feeling sickly, may you have a respite long enough to enjoy the time with loved ones. If you are feeling low may the spirit visit you and fill your heart with love and joy until you swell with the feeling of all that is good and promising in the world. May you savor a taste of good food, good drink and good conversation.
Just one moment to relish in the moment - to know that we are all one with each other. We all feel pain, we all feel joy, we all cry, we all bleed, we all want what is best for our loved ones and the world at large. We all suffer loss at some point in our life. We know that it passes. Time heals. Our brains are equipped to diminish the pain over time, but to also allow ourselves to remember the good times and hopefully learn from the hard times.
Just one moment to relish in the moment - to know that we are all one with each other. We all feel pain, we all feel joy, we all cry, we all bleed, we all want what is best for our loved ones and the world at large. We all suffer loss at some point in our life. We know that it passes. Time heals. Our brains are equipped to diminish the pain over time, but to also allow ourselves to remember the good times and hopefully learn from the hard times.
For this holiday season and all to come - prevail. Ups and downs, good times and bad. Let us prevail.
