Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Rambling and Reflections

The blaze of Christmas glory has blown through the past week, carving indelible memories, leaving a trail of  wonderful in its wake.

What to say? The anticipation, the last minute surge of housecleaning, shopping and preparations were all worth it. The dividends were large and permanent. Each day was crammed with family, food and laughter. And that is to be expected. However it was the little moments of bliss that made my Christmas truly special ...

The girls were home; the beds were no longer empty, the table was full and so was my heart. Watching my dad's eyes well with pride at his grandchildren and the special gifts they made him really moved me. Our living room  burst at the seams with sibs, nieces, nephews, parents and just as many simultaneous conversations.  Sis brought a coffee cake from Mom's recipe that triggered a memory with every biteful. Hubby showed his love with the feast he prepared for us - cause nothing says I love you like dinner!

Life is busy and I have come to treasure these rare moments when we manage to gather the whole gang together - everyone under the same roof at the same time. We snapped a family shot in the morning (missing a couple of Henry's) and the collective smiling faces create an impressive picture. It's hard to comprehend that this large, healthy, close knit family is the product of a young couple who met and married young and built a life from the ground up. We are the living legacy of our parents, and those who passed before us.

So going forward I will regard Christmas as a season of reflection ... each season building on the last.  Christmas' have become about creating these moments of precious to be savoured all year long. And I can't help but feel grateful to have my Dad close by. In all my 50 years I have never missed spending Christmas morning with my Dad. Isn't that a gift in itself?

Today is my MIH's milestone birthday and tomorrow we will celebrate it with her (but it's a secret). I call her my marriage bonus - my kindred spirit. I can't wait to give her a little of what she does for us all year long.

I'm off to bed before I am yet another day later posting ... so much to share and where to start.

I guess I just did ....

2 comments:

  1. Hi Lyn, sounds like you had a fabulous festive Christmas! Thanks for all those updates :)

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  2. What a lovely heartwarming post.
    Made me a little envious. But I must be grateful for my smaller and oh so important family, cause I love each and every one of them as they do me. And that is worth everything.
    xx

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