Knock Knock…Who’s There ?
Me. That’s who! I have been missing in action for much too long. However, in all my years of writing this blog, I have NEVER missed Christmas time with you. I have been over the river and through the woods getting older everyday. For that I am thankful, and as I spooned turkey into my mouth at Thanksgiving, I whispered, thank you for another year.
Another year with all of you.
Time now for the season of red and green and tinsel. Time now for the sights, smells and the taste of Christmas. Today is December 1st. The reason for the season is upon us. Please disregard the 70% off holiday decor signs in the craft stores.
It is 100% time for holiday good cheer.
It is the time for Christmas trees and twinkly lights. For me, decorating the Christmas tree is a SOLO performance. I turn on the Christmas music, open boxes of ornaments, garlands and begin to design. It is a Zen moment. The best part saved for last. Dusk outside… and inside, just the tree and me…we both light up the room…and my heart.
Christmas is a celebration of each and every one of our senses. Best of all our sense of smell and taste. For it is time for Christmas baking. Gingerbread, chocolate morsels,
Christmas cookies, fudge, pies, candy canes, and please lots and lots of chocolate!
However, this is also the time to pull out the family albums of Christmas past. Yes, I know everyone has a cell phone these days, but when was the last time YOU swept through those thousands of images and saw the faces and places you shared once upon a time.
We have photo albums. The kind with the plastic sleeves, or the even the older ones, where each picture is cornered in little black edges on parchment pages. Long ago I wrote about our Family Album. So as I sit here under the twinkling tree, I thought I would share that with you.
Family Portrait
Our family photo album is a running slideshow of memories. Current images are clear and sharp, while others reveal red eyes, vintage clothing and dated hairstyles. Corners bent and dog-ears , a few are treasured. The Favorites. The ones we linger over to freeze frame in time.
Details, where and when and who.
Names and dates.
The flash of the camera.
Wedding cake, the first house, Dad awkwardly holding a newborn, first steps, birthday parties, swimming lessons, first day of school, graduations, new driver standing by old car, old driver standing by new cars, wedding, reunions, funerals, gatherings, firecrackers, car trips, summer cabins, tiny fish
dangling from big poles, young faces with big grins, old faces with warm smiles.
The album is just that, a MEMORY vault.
When we think we have forgotten who we are, what our family means, we can run through the slideshow, flip the pages to find that those pictures become what is the very best part of being a family…
Memories…yours, mine, ours.
…A SINGULAR TALE OF LOVE OVER TIME…
You have almost an entire month to make new memories to hold you close through the coming year. The best and simplest present of all.
